o-'a. 


// 


THEORY  AND  PRACTICE 


TEACHING 


THE    MOTIVES    AND    METHODS 


GOOD  SCHOOL-KEEPING 


By    DAVID    P.    PAGE,    A.M. 

FiBOT     PRINCIPAL     OF     THE     STATE     NORMAL     SCHOOL,     ALBANY,     NEW     TORF 


TO     WHICH     IS    PREFIXED 

A    BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH    OF    THE    AUTHOR 


A    NEW    EDITION,     EDITED    AND     ENLARGED 

BY 

W.     H  .     PAYNE 

PBOFXSBOB     OP     THE     aCIENCE     AND     THE     ABT     Ot     TEACHIMO     IX     THE     DNIVEBSITY     0»     UICHIOAi. 


NEW  YORK  •:•  CINCINNATI  •:•  CHICAGO 

AMERICAN     BOOK     COMPANY 


Copyright,  1885,  by 
A.  S    BARNES   &  COMPANY 

w.  p.  3 


/02S 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 


MANY  a  meritorious  book  has  failed  to  find 
readers  by  reason  of  a  toilsome  preface. 
If  the  following  volume  meets  a  similar  fate,  what' 
ever  its  merits,  it  shall  lack  a  like  excuse. 

This  work  has  had  its  origin  in  a  desire  to 
contribute  something  toward  elevating  an  impor- 
tant and  rising  profession.  Its  matter  comprises 
the  substance  of  a  part  of  the  course  of  lectures 
addressed  to  the  classes  of  the  Institution  under 
my  charge,  during  the  past  two  years.  Those 
lectures,  unwritten  at  first,  were  delivered  in  a 
familiar,  colloquial  style, — their  main  object  being 
the  inculcation  of  such  practical  views  as  would 
best  promote  the  improvement  of  the  teacher. 
In  writing  the  matter  out  for  the  press,  the  same 
style,  to  a  considerable  extent,  has  been  retained, — 
as  I  have  written  with  an  aim  at  usefulness 
rather  than  rhetorical  effect. 

If  the  term  theory  in  the  title  suggests  to  any 
mind  the  bad  sense  sometimes  conveyed  by  that 

272j_65 


4  AUTHOR'S     PREFACE. 

■word,  I  would  simply  say,  that  I  have  not  been 
dealing  in  the  speculative  dreams  of  the  closet, 
but  in  convictions  derived  from  the  realities  of 
the  school -room  during  some  twenty  years  of 
actual  service  as  a  teacher.  Theory  may  justly 
mean  the  science  distinguished  from  the  art  of 
Teaching, — but  as  in  practice  these  should  never 
be  divorced,  so  in  the  following  chapters  I  have 
endeavored  constantly  to  illustrate  the  one  by 
the  other. 

If  life  should  be  spared  and  other  circum- 
stances should  warrant  the  undertaking,  perhaps 
a  further  course  comprising  the  Details  of  Teach- 
ing may,  at  some  future  time,  assume  a  similar 
form  to  complete  my  original  design. 


State  Normal  School, 
Albany,  N.  ¥.,  Jan.  1, 1847. 


David  P.  Page. 


EDITOR'S    PREFACE. 


NEARLY  forty  years  have  passed  since  Mr. 
Page  wrote  his  Theory  and  Practice  of 
Teaching,  and  within  that  period  some  marked 
changes  have  taken  place  in  the  state  of  edu- 
cational thought  and  practice  ;  and  in  under- 
taking the  preparation  of  this  new  edition,  my 
purpose  has  been,  by  making  some  additions  to 
the  text,  to  carry  forward  the  main  lines  of 
thought,  so  that  the  book  may  be  as  useful  to 
the  coming  generation  of  teachers  as  it  has  been 
to  the  past.  Since  its  first  appearance,  the  Theory 
and  Practice  of  Teaching  has  held  a  unique  place 
in  our  educational  literature.  Far  more  than  any 
other  book  of  its  kind,  it  has  set  before  the 
young  teacher,  in  a  clear  and  attractive  manner, 
the  problem  of  the  school,  and  at  the  same  time 
has  enlisted  the  feelings  as  a  motive  power  in 
attaining  the  ends  thus  pointed  out.  This  treat- 
ment embodies  the  highest  philosophy;  for  to 
know  the  end  is  almost  to  know  the  way,  and  to 


6  EDITOR'S     PREFACE. 

feel  a  strong  impulse  to  reach  the  end,  is  finally 
to  find  the  way. 

My  reverence  for  Mr.  Page  and  his  work  has 
forbidden  me  to  make  the  slightest  change  in 
the  expression  of  his  thought,  and  in  this  new 
edition  the  text  is  essentially  untouched.  In  only 
a  very  few  places  have  I  made  omissions  of  origi- 
nal matter.  The  Program  of  the  Albany  Normal 
School,  and  a  few  sentences  in  explanation  of  it, 
have  been  omitted,  and  a  new  list  of  books  has 
been  substituted  for  the  one  given  on  page  278 
of  the  original  edition.  In  every  respect  I  have 
tried  to  treat  this  work  as  I  would  wish  a  suc- 
cessor to  treat  any  piece  of  my  own  writing  that 
may  have  survived  my  professional  life. 


W.  H.  Payne, 

!HIGAN,  I 

July  1,  1885. 


Univeksity  of  Michigan,  ) 


CONTENTS. 


PAGS 

Biographical  Sketch  of  the  Author 11 

CHAPTER    I. 

Fitness  for  Teaching 19 

CHAPTER    II. 

Spirit  op  the  Teacher 25 

CHAPTER    III. 

Responsibility  of  the  Teacher 30 

Section  I. — A  Neglected  Tree 30 

Section  II. — The  Teacher  is  Responsible 35 

Section  III. — The  Auburn  State  Prison 54 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Pbrsonal  Habits  of  the  Teacher 60 

CHAPTER    V. 

Literary  Qualifications  of  the  Teacher 71 


8  CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER    VI. 

PAGE 

Right  Views  op  Education 91 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Right  Modes  op  Teaching 105 

Section  I. — Pouring-in  Process 107 

Section  II. — Drawing-out  Process 109 

Section  III. — The  more  excellent  Way 114 

Section  IV. — Waking  up  Mind 117 

Section  V. — Remarks 130 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
Conducting  Recitations 137 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Exciting  Interest  in  Study 154 

Section  I. — Incentives. .  .Emulation 155 

Section  II. — Prizes 162 

Section  III. — Proper  Incentives 175 

CHAPTER    X. 

School  Government 186 

Section  I. — Requisites    in    the    Teacher    for   Good 

Government 186 

Section  II. — Means  of  Securing  Good  Order 197 

Section  III. — Punishments 216 

I.  Improper 219 

II.  Proper 230 


CONTENTS.  9 

PAOB 

Section  IV. — Corporal  Punishment   235 

Section  V. — Limitations  and  Suggestions 249 

Motives 259 

CHAPTER    XL 

School  Arrangements 262 

Section  L— Plan  of  the  Day's  Work 269 

Program 273 

Remarks 274 

Section  IL — Interruptions  .......    279 

Section  III. — Recesses 283 

Section  TV. — Assignment  of  Lessons 286 

Section  Y. — Reviews 288 

Section  VI. — Public  Examinations.  .Exhibitions.  . 

Celebrations 290 

CHAPTER    XII. 
The    Teacher's    Relation    to    the    Parents    of    his 

Pupils 296 

CHAPTER    XIIL 

Teacher's  Care  of  his  Health 304 

Health . .  Exercise . .  Diet 305 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Teacher's  Relation  to  his  Profession 319 

Section  I. — Self-culture 325 

Section  II. — Mutual  Aid 333 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XV. 

PAGE 

Miscellaneous  Suggestions 344 

Section  I. — Things  to  be  Avoided 344 

Section  II. — Things  to  be  Performed 361 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
THji  Rewards  of  the  Teacher 388 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Notes  on  the  Teacher's  Authority  and  Rights 405 

INDEX 412 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH 

OF 

DAYID     PERKINS     PAGE. 

Taken  from  Barnard's  Journal  of  Education. 


A  MONG  the  self-educated  teachers  of  our  time,  the  men 
j[~\_  who,  as  was  said  of  old,  of  poets,  "were  born,  not 
made  "  teachers,  and  in  whom  the  instinct  for  knowledge,  and 
for  imparting  it  to  others,  was  sufficiently  strong  to  overpower 
all  obstacles  and  carry  them  to  the  highest  eminence  in  their 
profession,  there  are  none  who  have  excelled  the  subject  oh 
this  brief  memoir.    ^=H..^^.^_^t^     I —^.Av— -- -.    r>-*'^^'    "* 

David  Perkins  Page  was  born  at  Epping,  N'ew  Hampshire, 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1810.  His  father  was  a  prosperous,  though 
not  an  affluent  farmer,  and  his  early  life  was  passed  as  a 
farmer's  boy,  with  that  scant  dole  of  instruction  which,  forty 
years  ago,  fell  to  the  lot  of  farmers'  sons  in  small  country  vil- 
lages in  New  Hampshire,  or,  for  that  matter,  anywhere  in  New 
England.  From  his  earliest  years,  however,  the  love  of  books 
was  the  master-passion  of  his  soul,  and  in  his  childhood  he 
plead  often  and  earnestly  with  his  father  for  the  privilege  of 
attending  an  academy  in  a  neighboring  town,  but  the  father 
was  inexorable  ;  he  had  determined  that  David  should  succeed 
him  in  the  management  of  the  farm,  and  he  did  not  consider 
an  academical  education  necessary  for  this.  His  refusal  doubt- 
less exerted  a  good  influence  on  his  son ;  for  a  mind  so  active 
as  his,  if  denied  the  advantages  of  the  school,  must  find  vent 


12  BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH. 

in  some  exercise,  and  the  admirable  illustrations  he  drew  from 
nature,  so  often,  to  embellish  and  enforce  his  instructions  in 
after  years,  showed  conclusively  that  at  this  period  of  his  life, 
the  pages  of  the  wondrous  book  of  nature  had  been  wide  open 
before  him,  even  though  his  father's  fiat  had  deprived  him  of 
other  sources  of  information. 

But  He  who  guides  the  steps  of  his  creatures  had  provided 
a  way  for  the  gratification  of  the  thirst  for  knoAvledge  which 
was  consuming  the  farmer's  boy,  and  that  by  what  seemed  an 
untoward  Providence.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  brought 
to  the  borders  of  the  grave  by  a  severe  illness ;  for  a  long  time 
he  lingered  between  life  and  death ;  and.  while  in  this  condi- 
tion, his  friends  despairing  of  his  recovery,  and  his  father, 
whose  heart  yearned  over  him,  watching  his  enfeebled  frame, 
seemingly  nigh  to  dissolution,  the  apparently  dying  boy  turned 
his  large,  full  eyes  upon  his  father's  face,  and,  in  an  almost 
inaudible  whisper,  begged  that  if  he  recovered,  lie  might  be 
allowed  to  go  to  Hampton  Academy  and  prepare  to  become  a 
teacher.  Was  not  this,  indeed,  an  example  of  "  the  ruling 
passion  strong  in  death "  ?  The  father  could  not  refuse  the 
request  jji-offered  at  such  a  time  ;  Avliat  father  could  ?  The  boy 
did  recover,  and  he  did  go  to  the  academy,  a  plain  farmer's 
boy:  he  dressed  in  plain  farmer's  clothes,  and  hence,  some 
self-conceited  puppies,  whose  more  fashionable  exterior  could 
not  hide  the  meanness  of  their  souls,  deemed  him  fit  subject 
for  their  gibes  and  sneers ;  but  his  earnest  nature  and  his  in- 
tense love  of  study  Avere  not  to  be  thwarted  by  such  rebuffs ; 
he  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  Avay,  and,  having  spent  some 
months  at  the  academy,  he  taught  a  district  school  for  the  ensu- 
ing winter,  and  then  returned  again  to  the  academy.  Here  liis 
progress  in  study  Avas  rapid ;  but,  the  ensuing  Avinter,  Ave  find 
him  again  teaching  in  his  native  toAvn,  and  his  further  studies 
Avere  prosecuted  Avithout  assistance.  The  next  Avinter,  he  had 
determined  to  make  teaching  a  profession,  and  accordingly, 
having  taught  a  district  scliool  at  KcAvbury,  Mass.,  during  the 
Avinter,  at  its  close  he  opened  a  private  school :  a  daring  step  for 
a  young  man  but  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  who  had  enjoyed 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH.  13 

SO  few  advantages  of  education.  The  success  which  followed 
fully  justified  the  self-reliance  which  led  him  to  attempt  it. 
At  the  beginning  he  had  five  pupils,  Lut  lie  persevered,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  term,  the  number  he  had  contemplated 
was  full.  Here,  as  every-where  else,  during  his  career  as  a 
teacher,  was  manifested  that  diligence,  industry,  and  careful 
preparation  for  his  duties,  which  made  him  so  eminently  sue 
cessful.  He_j>tu4iedr^te-4es8oas-.lt^^was  to  teach,  thoyoughl 
that  he  might  im})art  instruction  with  that  freslniess  find:  in 
terest  which  sucli^  study  jffliuld^__givej_  he  studied  his  scholars 
tlioroughry,  that  he  might_,o£liipl-liisJxeadlings_jQ  their  s&vernl 
cifpacfETe's^ encgurjffliig^  the^djffidfi'iit  nnd  sluggislyre&training 
the  frowardj^_ajaiL£OU£ing^_tha--b'st1ess  nnd  cgj^eless^ to __un wonted 
interest  and  energy ;  he^  studied,  toa|_t]ieir,Kioral  natures,  and 
sought  to  rouse  in  their^youthful  hearts  aspirations  for  good- 
ness and  purity;  and  he  studied  whatever  would  ^nlarge-4iis 
spHere'bf  thought,  intelligenciv^irLdjiSGfttLness. 
^^^^iSireira  Teacher  was  sure  to  rise  in  reputation, — slowly,  per- 
haps, but  certainly;  and  hence  it  need  not  surprise  us  to  learn 
that  within  two  years  he  was  associate  principal  of  the  New- 
buryport  High  School,  having  charge  of  the  English  depart- 
ment. Here,  for  twelve  years,  he  was  associated  with  Roger 
S.  Howard,  Esq.,  one  of  the  most  eminent  teachers  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  how  well  he  fulfilled  his  duties,  Mr.  Howard, 
who  survived  him,  testifies.  The  same  intense  fondness  for 
study  characterized  him,  leading  him  to  acquire  a  very  compe- 
tent knowledge  of  the  Latin  language,  and  something  of  the 
Greek  ;  that  same  earnest  and  conscientious  performance  of  all 
his  school  duties,  and  delight  in  them,  were  manifested  here  as 
in  his  humbler  position.  It  Avas  while  occupying  this  post, 
that  he  first  began  to  come  before  the  public  as  a  lecturer.  He 
was  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the  Essex  County 
Teachers'  Association,  one  of  the  most  efficient  educational 
organizations  in  Massachusetts,  and  delivered  before  that  body 
several  lectures  Avhich  Hon.  Horace  Mann  characterized  as  the 
best  ever  delivered  before  that  or  any  other  body.  Of  one  of 
these,  on  "  The  Mutiud  Duties  of  Parents  and  Teachers"  six 


14  BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH. 

thousand  copies  were  printed  and  distributed  (3,000  of  -tliem  at 
Mr.  Mann's  expense)  throughout  the  State.  Mr.  Page's  powers 
as  an  orator  and  debater  were  of  a  very  high  order ;  he  pos- 
sessed, says  Mr.  Mann  (liimself  an  orator  of  no  mean  powers), 
"  that  rare  quality,  so  mdispensable  to  an  orator,  the  jtower  to 
think,  standing  on  his  feet,  and  before  folks."  As  a  teacher,  he 
exhibited  two  valuable  qualifications :  the  ability  to  turn  the 
attention  of  his  pupils  to  the  principles  wliich  explain  facts, 
and  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  see  clearly  the  connection ; 
and  the  talent  for  reading  the  character  of  his  scholars,  so 
accurately,  that  he  could  at  once  discern  what  were  their  gov- 
erning passions  and  tendencies,  what  in  them  needed  encour- 
agement, and  what  repression.  Thus,  useful,  active,  and 
growing  in  reputation,  Mr.  Page  remained  at  Newburyport,  till 
December,  1844. 

In  the  winter  preceding,  the  Legislature  of  New  York, 
Avearied  with  the  costly  but  unsuccessful  measures  which,  year 
after  year,  had  been  adopted  for  the  improvement  of  her  public 
schools,  had  appointed  a  committee  of  their  own  body,  warm 
friends  of  education,  to  visit  the  normal  schools  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  make  a  report  thereon.  The  committee  attended  to 
their  duties  and  made  an  elaborate  report  in  favor  of  the 
adoption  of  the  normal  school  system.  That  report  was 
adopted,  and  an  appropriation  of  ten  thousand  dollars  outfit 
and  ten  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  for  five  j'^ears,  was  voted, 
to  establish  a  normal  school  as  an  experiment.  The  friends  of 
education  in  ]^ew  York  felt  that,  liberal  as  this  appropriation 
was,  every  tiling  depended  u])on  securing  the  right  man  to 
take  charge  of  it,  and  long  and  carefully  did  they  ponder  the 
question,  who  that  man  should  be. 

Mr.  Page's  reputation  had  already  outrun  the  town  and  the 
county  in  which  he  resided ;  and,  on  the  recommendation  of 
Hon.  Horace  Mann,  and  other  friends  of  education  in  Massa- 
chusetts, Dr.  (afterward  Bishop)  Potter,  Col.  Young,  and  other 
members  of  the  executive  committee,  entered  into  correspond- 
ence with  him  on  the  subject.  In  reply  to  the  first  communi- 
cation, he  addressed  numerous  inquiries  to  the  committee,  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH.  15 

ceming  the  plan  proposed  for  the  organization  and  management 
of  the  school. 

These  questions  were  so  pointed  and  so  well  chosen,  that 
Col.  Young,  on  hearing  them,  at  once  exclaimed,  "  That  is  the 
man  we  need  ",  and  expressed  himself  entirely  satisfied,  with- 
out any  further  evidence.  So  cautious,  however,  were  the 
committee,  that  it  was  decided  that,  before  closing  the  negotia- 
tion. Dr.  Potter  should  visit  Newburyport  and  have  a  personal 
interview  Avith  Mr.  Page.  He  accordingly  repaired  thither, 
called  at  Mr.  Page's  residence,  and  found  him  in  his  every-day 
dress  and  engaged  in  some  mechanical  work  connected  with 
the  improvement  of  his  dwelling.  An  interview  of  a  single 
half  hour  so  fully  prepossessed  him  Avith  Mr.  Page's  personal 
bearing  and  conversation,  that  he  at  once  closed  the  negotia- 
tions with  him  and  secured  his  services  as  Principal  of  the 
New  York  State  Normal  School. 

Mr.  Page  closed  his  connection  with  the  Newburyport 
High  School  about  the  middle  of  December,  1844,  not  without 
numberless  demonstrations  of  regret  and  affectionate  regard  on 
the  part  of  his  pupils  and  friends.  While  on  his  way  to  Al- 
bany, he  spent  a  night  with  Mr.  Mann,  in  Boston,  and  the 
new  duties  he  was  about  to  undertake,  the  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties, the  opposition  and  misrepresentations  he  would  meet, 
and  the  importance  and  necessity  of  success,  formed  themes  of 
converse  which  occupied  them  till  the  early  morning  hours ; 
in  parting,  Mr.  Mann  said  to  ]\Ir.  Page,  as  a  veteran  commander 
might  have  said  to  a  youthful  officer  going  to  lead  a  forlorn 
hope,  "  Succeed  or  die."  The  words  sank  deep  into  his  heart ; 
they  were  adopted  as  his  motto  in  the  brief  but  brilliant  career 
which  followed,  and  once,  on  recovering  from  a  dangerous 
ilhiess,  he  reminded  his  friend  of  his  injunction,  and  added, 
"I  thought  I  was  about  to  fulfill  your  last  alternative."  He 
arrived  at  Albany  a  few  days  before  the  commencement  of  the 
"  experiment ",  as  the  Normal  School  was  designated,  and 
found  every  thing  in  a  chaotic  state ;  the  rooms  intended  for 
its  accommodation,  yet  unfinished  ;  there  was  no  organization, 
no  apparatus,  and  indeed  very  few  of  the  appliances  necessary 


16  BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH. 

bo  a  successful  begiiiniug ;  while  tlie  few  were  hoping,  though 
not  without  fear,  for  its  success,  and  the  many  were  prophesy- 
ing its  utter  faihire.  From  this  chaos,  the  systematic  mind  of 
Mr.  Page  soon  evolved  order :  full  of  hope  and  confident  of 
the  success  of  the  Normal  School  system  himself,  he  infused 
energy  and  courage  into  the  hearts  of  its  desponding  friends, 
and  caused  its  enemies  to  falter,  as  they  saw  how  all  obstacles 
yielded  to  the  fascination  of  his  presence,  or  the  power  of  his 
will.  The  school  commenced  with  twenty-five  scholars,  but 
ere  the  close  of  its  first  term,  the  number  had  increased  to  one 
hundred.  At  the  commencement  of  the  second  term,  two 
hundred  assembled  for  instruction.  From  this  time  its  course 
was  onward ;  every  term  increased  its  popularity ;  and  the 
accommodations  provided  for  it,  large  as  they  were,  were  soon 
crowded.  For  the  first  three  years,  it  had  to  contend  with 
numerous  and  unscrupulous  foes,  some  of  whom  attacked  the 
system,  others  its  practical  workings,  others  still,  who  were 
strangers  to  his  person,  attacked  the  character  of  the  prineipal 
of  the  school.  Meantime,  Mr.  Page  labored  indefatigably : 
against  the  assaults  upon  the  organization,  or  its  practical 
operations,  he  interposed  able,  manly,  and  courteous  defenses ; 
those  Avhich  were  leveled  at  himself,  he  bore  in  silence ;  but 
no  man,  whatever  his  position  in  the  State,  and  however  bitter 
might  have  been  his  hostility  to  the  school,  or  to  its  principal, 
ever  came  within  the  magnetism  of  his  presence  and  influence 
without  being  changed  from  an  enemy  into  a  friend.  Among 
the  most  decided,  as  Avell  as  the  most  conscientious  opposers  of 
the  Normal  School,  was  the  Hon.  Silas  Wright ;  indeed,  in 
his  election  as  governor,  the  enemies  of  the  school  claimed  a 
triumph  and  counted  largely  on  his  eminent  abilities  to  aid 
them  in  putting  it  down;  but  a  very  few  months'  residence  in 
Albany  converted  this  man,  of  strong  and  determined  will, 
into  one  of  its  sincerest  friends.  During  the  vacations  of  the 
school,  Mr.  Page  gave  himself  no  rest ;  he  visited  different 
parts  of  the  State,  attended  teachers'  institutes,  lectured  day 
after  day,  and,  wlierever  he  went,  removed  prejudices,  cleared 
up  doubts,  and  won  golden  opinions.     Every  such  visit  drew 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH.  17 

a  large  iimnber  of  pupils  to  the  school,  from  the  section  visited, 
the  ensuing  term.  The  Htate  Superintendent  was  accustomed 
to  say  "  that  he  needed  oidy  to  look  at  the  catalogue  of  the 
Normal  School,  to  tell  where  Mr.  Page  had  spent  his  va- 
cations." 

Before  four  years  had  passed,  the  school  had  ceaseil  to  be 
an  "experiment";  it  was  too  firmly  rooted  in  the  hearts  of 
the  people  to  he  abandoned,  and  the  opposition,  which  had  at 
first  been  so  formidable,  had  dwindled  into  insignificance. 
But  the  t(jil  re([uisite  to  accomplish  this  had  been  too  arduous 
for  any  constitution,  however  vigorous,  to  endure.  The  au- 
tumnal term  of  1847  found  him  cheerful  and  hopeful  as  ever, 
l)ut  with  waning  jihysical  strengtli ;  he  sought  (an  unusual 
thing  fr;r  him)  the  aid  of  his  colleagues  in  the  performance  of 
dutiiis  he  had  usually  undertaken  alone,  and  at  length  con- 
sented to  take  a  vacation  of  a  week  or  two  during  the  Christ- 
mas holidays.  Alas  !  the  relaxation  came  too  late ;  the  evening 
before  he  was  to  leave,  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  faculty  at 
his  residence ;  he  was  cheerful,  but  complained  of  slight  indis- 
])Osition,  anil  retired  early,  AVith  the  night,  however,  came 
violent  fever  and  restlessness,  and  by  the  morning  light  the 
physicians  in  attendance  pronounced  tlie  disease  pneumonia. 
At  first,  the  attack  excited  little  alurni,  fmt  it  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  his  overtasked  vital  powers  had  not  the  ability  to 
resist  the  violence  of  the  disorder.  On  the  fourth  day,  he  ex- 
pressed to  a  friend  his  conviction  that  he  should  not  recover. 

y)  /The  severity  of  the  disease  soon  increased,  and,  on  the  morning 

/v^f  January  1,  1848,  he  passed  away. 
n  Six  months  before  his  death,  he  had,  in  company  with  one 
of  his  colleagues,  made  a  brief  visit  to  his  former  home,  at  New- 
buryport ;  and,  while  visiting  the  beautiful  cemetery  there,  he 
stopped  suddenly  near  a  shady  spot,  and  said,  "  Here  is  where 
I  desire  to  be  buried."  The  sad  funeral  train  which  Ijore  the 
clay  that  once  had  been  his  earthly  habitation  from  Alljany  to 
Newburyport,  laid  it  sadly,  yet  hopefully,  in  that  quiet  nook, 
to  repose  till  tlie  archangel's  trump  shall  be  heard,  and  the 
dead  be  raised. 


18  BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH. 

His  life  had  been  short,  as  men  count  time ;  he  lacked  six 
months  of  completing  his  thirty-eighth  year  when  he  was  sum- 
moned to  the  better  land  ;  but,  if  life  be  reckoned  by  what  is 
accomplished,  then  had  his  life  been  longer  far  than  that  of 
the  antediluvian  patriarchs.  Of  the  hundreds  of  teachers 
who  were  under  his  care  at  Albany,  there  was  not  one  who 
did  not  look  iip  to  him  with  admiration  and  love ;  not  one 
who  did  not  bear,  to  some  extent,  at  least,  the  impress  of  his 
character  and  influence.  Men  who  were  trained  under  him  at 
Albany  are  occupying  liigh  positions  in  the  cause  of  education 
in  several  of  the  Western  States  ;  and  gifted  women,  who,  under 
his  teachings,  were  moved  to  consecrate  themselves  to  the  holy 
duty  of  training  the  young,  are  now  at  the  head  of  seminaries 
and  female  schools  of  high  order,  extending  his  influence  in 
widening  circles  over  the  boundless  prairies  of  the  West. 

Our  brief  narrative  exhibits,  we  think,  clearly  what  were 
the  marked  traits  of  Mr.  Page's  character — industry,  perse- 
verance, decision,  energy,  great  executive  ability,  ready  tact, 
and  conscientious  adherence  to  what  he  regarded  as  duty.  But 
no  language  can  describe  the  fascination  of  his  manner,  the 
attraction  of  his  presence,  his  skill  in  what  he  Avas  accustomed 
to  call  the  drawing-out  process,  or  his  tact  in  making  all  his 
knowledge  available.  His  familiar  lectures  to  his  pupils  on 
subjects  connected  with  the  teacher's  life  and  duties,  could 
they  be  published,  would  form  an  invaluable  hand-book  for 
teachers.  He  possessed,  beyond  most  men,  the  happy  talent 
of  always  saying  tlie  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  In  personal 
appearance,  Mr.  Page  was  more  than  ordinarily  prepossessing — 
of  good  height,  and  fine  form,  erect,  and  dignified  in  manner, 
scrupulously  neat  in  person,  and  easy  in  address,  he  was  a  liv- 
ing model  to  his  pupils  of  what  a  teacher  should  be.  Aside 
from  a  few  lectures,  published  at  different  times,  to  some  of 
ivhich  we  have  already  alluded,  Mr.  Page  left  but  one  pub- 
lished work — "  The  Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching"  a  work 
Avhich  lias  had  a  large  circulation,  and  one  which  no  teacher 


- — -7^1 

/li 


can  afford  to  be  without. 


THEORY  AND  PRACTICE  OF  TEACHING. 


CHAPTER    I. 

FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING. 

THE  history  of  education  shows  that  there 
have  been  three  well  marked  and  progress- 
ive stages  of  opinion  with  respect  to  fitness  for 
teaching.  During  the  earlier  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  historic  period,  when  learning  was  monopo- 
lized by  the  few,  all  scholars  were  necessarily 
teachers,  and  it  was  an  easy  step  to  the  inference 
that  all  who  were  learned  could  teach.  At  a 
m.uch  later  period,  when  a  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  had  taken  place,  and  the  number  of 
schools  had  greatly  increased,  it  was  observed 
that  some  scholars  had  high  teaching  power, 
while  others  had  little  or  none  of  this  gift.  As 
this  difference  could  not  be  attributed  to  differ- 
ences in  scholarship,  nor  wholly  to  differences  in 
natural  ability,  it  was  ascribed  to  high  and  low 
degrees  of  slcill,  and  so  the  question  of  method 
was  called  into  prominence.  This  step  necessarily 
led  to  a  comparison  of  methods,  and  finally  to  a 
search  for  some  criterion  by  which  they  could  be 
tested.    This  criterion  turned  out  to  be  some  gen- 


20  FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING. 

Three  phases  of  opinion. 

eral  principle  or  law  of  psychology,  physiology, 
or  ethics.  In  this  way  there  began  to  appear  a 
science  of  teaching.  If  we  arrange  these  three 
conceptions  of  fitness  for  teaching  in  the  order 
of  their  historical  sequence,  they  will  stand  as 
follows : 

1.  Scholarship. 

2.  Scholarship  and  Method. 

3.  Scholarship,  Method,  and  Science. 

In  which  stratum  of  thought  are  we  living  to- 
day? In  all  three.  The  first  is  represented  in 
the  laws  regulating  the  granting  of  licenses  to 
teach ;  the  second,  speaking  generally,  in  normal 
schools ;  and  the  third,  in  universities  where  the 
study  of  education  has  been  made  a  part  of  the 
curriculum.  The  conservatism  of  law  is  well 
known,  and  in  prescribing  scholarship  as  the 
main,  if  not  the  only  test  of  fitness  to  teach,  it 
has  preserved  the  primitive  conception  of  compe- 
tence for  the  teaching  office.  In  the  main,  the 
distinctive  feature  of  the  normal  school  is  that  it 
instructs  its  pupils  in  the  best  methods  of  doing 
the  various  work  of  the  school,  at  the  same  time 
that  it  carries  forward  their  academic  training. 
This  instruction  in  methods  is  either  given  out  of 
books  or  by  lecture,  or  in  observing  the  work  done 
in  model  schools,  or  by  doing  actual  teaching 
work  in  practice  schools.  In  this  country,  the 
professional  instruction  of  teachers  in  universities 
is  of  recent  date,  and  consists  chiefly  in  commu- 
nicating the  cardinal  doctrines  of  education  and 


FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING.  21 

Natural  ability.— Study.— Experience. 

teaching,  on  the  hypothesis  that  students  who 
have  been  hberally  trained  will  be  able,  on  the 
occasion  of  experience,  to  draw  a  rational  art  of 
teaching  out  of  a  science  of  teaching.  The  cur- 
rent of  the  educational  thought  of  to-day  may  be 
interpreted  as  follows :  True  fitness  for  teaching, 
so  far  as  it  can  be  gained  from  instruction,  con- 
sists first  of  all  in  a  liberal  scholarship,  then  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  best  methods  of  doing  the 
work  of  the  school,  and  of  the  principles  that 
underlie  these  methods.  Many,  perhaps  the  most, 
of  those  who  are  to  teach  for  a  long  time  to 
come,  will  fall  short  of  these  attainments ;  but 
this  is  a  reasonable  ideal  toward  which  all  should 
aspire. 

The  professional  education  of  two  teachers 
may  be  the  very  same  in  kind  and  amount,  and 
yet  their  actual  teaching  power  may  be  very  un- 
equal ;  and  this  inequality  we  ascribe  to  differences 
in  ability.  Some  are  born  with  a  predisposition 
to  this  kind  of  labor,  and  for  others  it  is  more  or 
less  unnatural.  How  are  natural  ability,  study, 
and  experience  related  to  each  other?  This  has 
never  been  more  forcibly  or  more  truly  stated 
than  by  Lord  Bacon  in  these  terms :  ''  To  spend 
too  much  Time  in  Studies,  is  Sloth  ;  To  use  them 
too  much  for  Ornament,  is  Affectation  ;  To  make 
Judgement  wholly  by  their  Rules  is  the  Humour 
of  a  SchoUer.  They  perfect  Nature,  and  are  per- 
fected by  Experience :  For  Katurall  Abilities,  are 
like  Naturall  Plants,  that  need  Proyning  by  Study : 


22  FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING. 

Knowing  prepares  for  doing. 

And  Studies  themselves,  doe  give  forth  Directions 
too  much  at  Large,  except  they  be  bounded  in 
by  experience."  The  proper  sequence,  then,  is 
this :  Natural  ability,  study,  experience.  No 
rhatter  what  our  natural  gifts  may  be,  they 
should  be  improved  by  study ;  and  the  purpose 
of  professional  study  should  be  (1)  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  recorded  experiences  of  those  who 
have  made  high  attainments  in  the  vocation 
which  we  purpose  to  follow ;  (2)  to  form  a  proper 
conception  of  the  work  we  are  to  do ;  and  (3)  to 
gain  the  instrumental  knowledge  that  is  needed 
in  the  practice  of  our  art.  Only  when  we  have 
done  this  are  we  ready  to  undertake  the  duties 
of  our  chosen  profession,  for  the  antecedent  to 
doing  is  knowing ;  it  is  only  the  quack  who  will 
venture  to  learn  his  art  by  the  practice  of  his 
art. 

Those  who  are  beginning  the  study  of  educa- 
tion should  be  reminded  that  the  field  of  inquiry 
is  a  vast  one,  and  that  if  they  would  attain  the 
highest  professional  standing,  they  must  pursue 
this  subject  in  its  three  main  phases — the  practi- 
cal, the  scientific,  and  the  historical.  If  the  time 
for  preparation  is  short,  a  beginning  should  be 
made  in  becoming  acquainted  with  the  best  cur- 
rent methods  of  organizing,  governing,  and  in- 
structing a  school.  Then  should  follow  a  study 
of  the  science  of  education,  to  the  end  that  the 
teacher  may  interpret  the  lessons  of  daily  expe- 
rience, and  thus  be  helped  to  grow  into  higher 


FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING.  23 

Professional  study.— Culture. 

and  higher  degrees  of  competence ;  and,  finally, 
for  giving  breadth  of  view,  for  taking  full  advan- 
tage of  all  past  experience  and  experiments,  and 
for  gaining  that  inspiration  which  comes  from 
retracing  the  long  line  of  an  illustrious  profes- 
sional ancestry,  there  should  be  a  study  of  the 
history  of  education. 

All  who  propose  to  teach  need  to  recollect 
that  the  very  basis  of  fitness  for  teaching,  so  far 
as  it  can  be  gained  from  study,  is  a  broad  and 
accurate  scholarship.  To  be  a  teacher,  one  naust 
first  of  all  be  a  scholar.  So  much  stress  is  now 
placed  on  method,  and  the  theory  of  teaching, 
that  there  is  great  danger  of  forgetting  the  su- 
preme importance  of  scholarship  and  culture.  For 
these  there  is  no  substitute  ;  and  any  scheme  of 
professional  study  that  is  pursued  at  the  expense 
of  scholarship  and  culture,  is  essentially  bad.  To 
be  open-minded,  magnanimous,  and  manly;  to 
have  a  love  for  the  scholarly  vocation,  and  a  wide 
and  easy  range  of  intellectual  vision,  are  of  in- 
finitely greater  worth  to  the  teacher  than  any 
authorized  set  of  technical  rules  and  principles. 
Well  would  it  be  for  both  teachers  and  taught,  if 
all  who  read  this  book  were  to  be  inspired  by 
Plato's  ideal  of  the  cultured  man :  "  A  lover,  not 
of  a  part  of  wisdom,  but  of  the  whole ;  who  has 
a  taste  for  every  sort  of  knowledge  and  is  curi- 
ous to  learn,  and  is  never  satisfied ;  who  has  mag- 
nificence of  mind,  and  is  the  spectator  of  all  time 
and  all   existence ;    who  is   harmoniously  consti- 


24  FITNESS     FOR     TEACHING. 

Plato's  idea  of  culture. 

tuted  ;  of  a  well-proportioned  and  gracious  mind, 
whose  own  nature  will  move  spontaneously  to- 
wards the  true  being  of  every  thing ;  who  has  a 
good  memory,  and  is  quick  to  learn,  noble,  gra- 
cious, the  friend  of  truth,  justice,  courage,  tem- 
perance." * 

*  B:ej>uhlio,  passim,  475-487. 


CHAPTER    II. 

SPIRIT     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

PERHAPS  the  very  first  question  that  the 
honest  individual  will  ask  himself,  as  he 
proposes  to  assume  the  teacher's  office,  or  to 
enter  upon  a  preparation  for  it,  will  be — "  What 
manner  of  sjjirit  am  loff  No  question  can  be 
more  important.  I  would  by  no  means  under- 
value that  degree  of  natural  talent — of  mental 
power,  which  all  justly  consider  so  desirable  in 
the  candidate  for  the  teacher's  office.  But  the 
true  spirit  of  the  teacher, — a  spirit  that  seeks  not 
alone  pecuniary  emolument,  but  desires  to  be  in 
the  highest  degree  useful  to  those  who  are  to  be 
taught;  a  spirit  that  elevates  above  every  thing 
else  the  nature  and  capabilities  of  the  human 
soul,  and  that  trembles  under  the  responsibility 
of  attemf)ting  to  be  its  educator ;  a  spirit  that 
looks  upon  gold  as  the  contemptible  dross  of 
earth,  when  compared  with  that  imperishable  gem 
Avhich  is  to  be  polished  and  brought  out  into 
heaven's  light  to  shine  forever ;  a  spirit  that 
scorns  all  the  rewards  of  earth,  and  seeks  that 
highest  of  all  rewards,  an  approving  conscience 
and   an   approving   God  ;    a  spirit   that   earnestly 


26  SPIRIT     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

True  spirit.— Motives  often  wrong. 

inquires  what  is  right,  and  that  dreads  to  do  what 
is  wrong ;  a  spirit  that  can  recognize  and  rever- 
ence the  handiwork  of  God  in  every  child,  and 
that  burns  with  the  desire  to  be  instrumental  in 
training  it  to  the  highest  attainment  of  which 
it  is  capable, — such  a  spirit  is  the  first  thing  Xo 
be  sought  by  the  teacher,  and  without  it  the 
highest  talent  can  not  make  him  truly  excellent 
in  his  profession. 

The  candidate  for  the  office  of  the  teacher 
should  look  well  to  his  motives.  It  is  easy  to 
enter  upon  the  duties  of  the  teacher  without 
preparation ;  it  is  easy  to  do  it  without  that  lofty 
purpose  which  an  enlightened  conscience  would 
ever  demand ;  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  undo  the 
mischief  which  a  single  mistake  may  produce  in 
the  mind  of  the  child,  at  that  tender  period  when 
mistakes  are  most  likely  to  be  made. 

Too  many  teachers  are  found  in  our  schools 
without  the  spirit  for  their  work  which  is  here 
insisted  on.  They  not  only  have  not  given  atten- 
tion to  any  preparation  for  their  work,  but  resort 
to  it  from  motives  of  personal  convenience,  and 
in  many  instances  from  a  consciousness  of  being 
unfit  for  every  thing  else !  In  other  professions 
this  is  not  so.  The  lawyer  is  not  admitted  to 
the  bar  till  he  has  pursued  a  course  of  thorough 
preparation,  and  even  then  but  warily  employed. 
The  physician  goes  through  his  course  of  reading 
and  his  course  of  lectures,  and  often  almost 
through   a   course  of  starvation   in    the  country 


SPIRIT     OF     THE     TEACHER.  27 

Preparation  neglected. 

village  where  he  first  puts  np  his  sign,  before  he 
is  called  in  to  heal  the  maladies  of  the  body.  It 
is  long  before  he  can  inspire  confidence  enough 
in  the  people  to  be  intrusted  with  their  most  dif- 
ficult cases  of  ailing,  and  very  likely  the  noon 
of  life  is  passed  before  he  can  consider  himself 
established.  But  it  is  not  so  with  the  teacher. 
He  gains  access  to  the  sanctuary  of  mind  with- 
out any  difficulty,  and  the  most  tender  interests 
for  both  worlds  are  intrusted  to  his  guidance, 
even  when  he  makes  pretension  to  no  higher  mo- 
tive than  that  of  filling  up  a  few  months  of  time 
not  otherwise  appropriated,  and  to  no  qualifica- 
tions but  those  attained  by  accident.  A  late 
writer  in  the  Journal  of  Education  hardly  over- 
states this  matter : — "  Every  stripling  who  has 
passed  four  years  within  the  walls  of  a  college ; 
every  dissatisfied  clerk,  who  has  not  ability  enough 
to  manage  the  trifiing  concerns  of  a  common  re- 
tail  shop  ;  every  young  farmer  who  obtains  in  the 
winter  a  short  vacation  from  the  toils  of  sum- 
mer,— in  short,  every  young  person  who  is  con- 
scious of  his  imbecility  in  other  business,  esteems 
himself  fully  competent  to  train  the  ignorance 
and  weakness  of  infancy  into  all  the  virtue  and 
power  and  wisdom  of  maturer  years, — to  form  a 
sreature,  the  frailest  and  feeblest  that  heaven  has 
made,  into  the  intelligent  and  fearless  sovereign 
of  the  whole  animated  creation,  the  interpreter 
and  adorer  and  almost  the  representative  of 
Divinity ! " 


28  SPIRIT     OF     THE     TEACHEE. 

Teaching  a  secondary  object.— Ignorance  does  not  excuse. 

Many  there  are  who  enter  upon  the  high  em- 
ployraent  of  teaching  a  common  school  as  a 
secondary  object.  Perhaps  they  are  students 
themselves  in  some  higher  institution,  and  resort 
to  this  as  a  temporary  expedient  for  paying  their 
board,  while  their  chief  object  is,  to  pursue  their 
own  studies  and  thus  keep  pace  with  their  classes. 
Some  make  it  a  stepping-stone  to  something  be- 
yond, and,  in  their  estimation,  higher  in  the  scale 
of  respectability, — treating  the  employment,  while 
in  it,  as  irksome  in  the  extreme,  and  never  mani- 
festing so  much  delight  as  when  the  hour  arrives 
for  the  dismissal  of  their  schools.  Such  have  not 
the  true  spirit  of  the  teacher ;  and,  if  their  labors 
are  not  entirely  unprofitable,  it  only  proves  that 
children  are  sometimes  submitted  to  imminent 
danger,  but  are  still  unaccountably  preserved  by 
the  hand  of  Providence. 

The  teacher  should  go  to  his  duty  full  of  his 
work.  He  should  be  impressed  with  its  over- 
whelming importance;  He  should  feel  that  his 
mistakes,  though  they  may  not  s^Deedily  ruin  him, 
may  permanently  injure  his  pupils.  Nor  is  it 
enough  that  he  shall  say,  "I  did  it  ignorantly". 
He  has  assumed  to  fill  a  place  where  ignorance 
itself  is  sin  ;  and  where  indifference  to  the  well- 
being  of  others  is  equivalent  to  willful  homicide. 
He  might  as  innocently  assume  to  be  the  physi- 
cian, and,  without  knowing  its  effects,  prescribe 
arsenic  for  the  colic.  Ignorance  is  not  in  such 
cases  a  valid  excuse,  because  the  assumption  of 


SPIRIT     OF     THE     TEACHER.  29 

Dangerous  to  mislead  mind. 

the  place  implies  a  pretension  to  the  requisite 
skill.  Let  the  teacher,  then,  well  consider  what 
manner  of  spirit  he  is  of.  Let  him  come  to  this 
work  only  when  he  has  carefully  pondered  its 
nature  and  its  responsibilities,  and  after  he  has 
devoted  his  best  powers  to  a  thorough  prepara- 
tion of  himself  for  its  high  duties.  Above  all,  let 
him  be  sure  that  his  motives  on  entering  the 
school-room  are  such  as  will  be  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  God,  when  viewed  by  the  light  beaming 
out  from  His  throne. 

"01  let  not  then  unskillful  hands  attempt 
To  play  the  harp  whose  tones,  whose  living  tones 
Are  left  forever  in  the  strings.    Better  far 
That  heaven's  lightnings  blast  his  very  soul, 
And  sink  it  back  to  Chaos'  lowest  depths. 
Than  knowingly,  by  word  or  deed,  he  send 
A  bhght  upon  the  trusting  mind  of  youth." 


CHAPTER    III. 

RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 


SECTION   I.— A  NEGLECTED   PEAR-TREE. 

SOME  years  ago,  while  residing  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  Massachusetts,  I  was  the 
owner  of  a  small  garden.  I  had  taken  much 
pains  to  improve  the  condition  and  appearance 
of  the  place.  A  woodbine  had  been  carefully 
trained  upon  the  front  of  the  little  homestead  ; 
a  fragrant  honeysuckle,  supported  by  a  trellis, 
adorned  the  door-way;  a  moss-rose,  a  flowering 
almond,  and  the  lily  of  the  valley,  mingled  their 
fragrance  in  the  breath  of  morn, — and  never,  in 
my  estimation  at  least,  did  the  sun  shine  upon  a 
lovelier,  happier  spot.  The  morning  hour  was 
spent  in  "dressing  and  keeping"  the  garden.  Its 
vines  were  daily  watched  and  carefully  trained ; 
its  borders  were  free  from  weeds,  and  the  plants 
expanded  their  leaves  and  opened  their  buds  as 
if  smiling  at  the  approach  of  the  morning  sun. 
There  were  fruit-trees,  too,  which  had  been 
brought  from  far,  and  so  carefully  nurtured,  that 
they  were  covered  with  blossoms,  filling  the  aii 
with  their  fragrance  and  awakening  the  fondest 
hopes  of  an  abundant  harvest. 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.        31 


Neglected  pear-tree.— Pruning  commenced. 


In  one  corner  of  this  miniature  paradise  there 
was  a  hop-trellis ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  a  bed  of 
tansy  hard  by,  stood  a  small,  knotty,  crooked  pear- 
tree.  It  had  stood  there  I  know  not  how  long. 
It  was  very  diminutive  in  size ;  but,  like  those 
cedars  which  one  notices  high  up  the  mountain, 
just  on  the  boundary  between  vegetation  and 
eternal  frost,  it  had  every  mark  of  the  decrepi- 
tude of  age. 

Why  should  this  tree  stand  here  so  unsightly 
and  unfruitful?  Why  had  it  escaped  notice  so 
long  ?  Its  bark  had  become  bound  and  cracked ; 
its  leaves  were  small  and  curled ;  and  those, 
small  as  they  were,  were  ready  to  be  devoured 
by  a  host  of  caterpillars,  whose  pampered  bodies 
were  already  grown  to  the  length  of  an  inch. 
The  tendrils  of  the  hop-vine  had  crept  about  its 
thorny  limbs,  and  were  weighing  down  its  growth, 
while  the  tansy  at  its  roots  drank  up  the  refresh- 
ing dew  and  shut  out  the  genial  ray.  It  was  a 
neglected  tree  ! 

"Why  may  not  this  tree  be  pruned?"  No 
sooner  said,  than  the  small  saw  was  taken  from 
its  place  and  the  work  was  commenced.  Com- 
menced ?  It  was  hard  to  determine  where  to 
commence.  Its  knotty  branches  had  grown  thick 
and  crooked,  and  there  was  scarcely  space  to  get 
the  saw  between  them.  They  all  seemed  to  de- 
serve amputation,  but  then  the  tree  would  have 
no  top.  This  and  that  limb  were  lopped  off  as 
the  case   seemed  to  demand.    The   task  was  nei- 


32       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

Disagreeable  toil.  —  Grafting  of  a  Bartlet  Pear.  — Anxiety. 

ther  easy  nor  pleasant.  Sometimes  a  violent 
stroke  would  bring  down  upon  my  own  head  a 
shower  of  the  filthy  caterpillars  ;  again,  the  long- 
cherished  garden  coat  —  threadbare  and  faded  as 
it  was  —  got  caught,  and,  before  it  could  be  dis- 
engaged, what  an  unsightly  rent  had  been  made  ! 
With  pain  I  toiled  on,  for  one  of  the  unlucky 
thorns  had  pierced  my  thumb ;  and  I  might 
have  been  said  to  be  working  on  the  spur  of  the 
occasion ! 

The  hop-vine,  however,  was  removed  from  its 
boughs,  the  tansy  and  weeds  from  its  roots,  the 
scales  and  moss  from  its  bark.  The  thorns  were 
carefully  pared  from  its  limbs,  and  the  caterpil- 
lars were  all  shaken  from  its  leaves.  The  mold 
was  loosened  and  enriched  —  and  the  sun  shone 
that  day  upon  a  long  neglected,  but  now  a  prom- 
ising tree. 

The  time  for  grafting  was  not  yet  passed. 
One  reputedly  skilled  in  that  art  was  called  to 
put  the  new  scion  upon  the  old  stock.  The 
work  was  readily  undertaken  and  speedily  accom- 
plished, and  the  assurance  was  given  that  the 
Bartlet  Pear  —  that  prince  among  the  fruits  of 
New  England  —  would  one  day  be  gathered  from 
my  neglected  tree. 

With  what  interest  I  watched  the  buds  of  the 
scion,  morning  after  morning,  as  the  month  grew 
warmer,  and  vegetation  all  around  was  "  bursting 
into  birth  ! "  With  what  delight  did  I  greet  the 
first  opening  of  those  buds,  and  how  did  I  rejoice 


RESPONSIBILITY    OF    THE     TEACHER.       83 


The  pears  ripen.  —  Chagrin  and  mortification.  —  A  moral  garden. 

as  the  young  shoots  put  forth  and  grew  into  a 
fresh  green  top !  With  tender  solicitude  I  cher- 
ished this  tree  for  two  long  summers ;  and,  on 
the  opening  of  the  third,  my  heart  was  gladdened 
with  the  sight  of  its  first  fruit  blossoms.  With 
care  were  the  weeds  excluded,  the  caterpillars 
exterminated,  the  hop-vine  clipped,  the  bark 
rubbed  and  washed,  the  earth  manured  and  wa- 
tered. The  time  of  fruit  .  arrived.  The  Bartlet 
pear  was  offered  in  our  market  —  but  my  pears 
were  not  yet  ripe  !  With  anxious  care  they  were 
watched  till  the  frost  bade  the  green  leaves 
wither,  and  then  they  were  carefully  gathered 
and  placed  in  the  sunbeams  within  doors.  They 
at  length  turned  yellow,  and  looked  fair  to  the 
sight  and  tempting  to  the  taste ;  and  a  few 
friends  who  had  known  their  history,  were  in- 
vited to  partake  of  them.  They  were  brought 
forward,  carefully  arranged  in  the  best  dish  the 
humble  domicile  afforded,  and  formally  intro- 
duced as  the  first  fruits  of  the  ^^  neglected  tree^ 
What  was  my  chagrin  and  mortification,  after  all 
my  pains  and  solicitude,  after  all  my  hopes  and 
fond  anticipations,  to  find  they  were  miserable, 
tasteless  —  choke  pears  ! 

This  pear-tree  has  set  me  to  thinking.  It  has 
suggested  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  moral 
garden,  in  which  there  may  be  fair  flowers, 
indeed,  but  also  some  neglected  trees.  The  plants 
in  this  garden  may  suffer  very  much  from  neg- 
lect —  from  neglect  of  the  gardener.    It  is  deplor- 


34       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Many  neglected  trees.  —  Infancy. 

able  to  see  how  many  crooked,  Linseemly  branches 
shoot  forth  from  some  of  these  young  trees, 
which  early  might  have  been  trained  to  grow 
straight  and  smooth  by  the  hand  of  cultivation^ 
Many  a  youth,  running  on  in  his  own  way,  in- 
dulging in  deception  and  profanity,  yielding  to 
temptation  and  overborne  by  evil  influences,  pol- 
luting by  his  example,  and  wounding  the  hearts 
of  his  best  friends  as  they  yearn  over  him  for 
good,  has  reminded  me  of  my  neglected  tree,  its 
caterpillars,  its  roughened  bark,  its  hop-vine,  its 
tansy  bed,  its  cruel  piercing  thorns.  And  when 
I  have  seen  such  a  youth  brought  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  educator,  and  have  witnessed  the 
progress  he  has  made  and  the  intellectual  promise 
he  has  given,  I  have  also  thought  of  my  neglected 
tree.  When,  too,  I  have  followed  him  to  the  years 
of  maturity,  and  have  found,  as  I  have  too  often 
found,  that  he  brings  not  forth  "the  peaceable 
fruits  of  righteousness",  but  that  he  disappoints 
all  the  fondly-cherished  hopes  of  his  friends — per- 
haps of  his  own  teachers,  because  the  best  prin- 
ciples were  not  engrafted  upon  him,  I  again  think 
of  my  neglected  tree,  and  of  the  unskillful,  per- 
haps dishonest  gardener,  who  acted  as  its  respon- 
sible educator. 

From  the  above  as  a  text,  several  inferences 
might  be  drawn.  1.  Education  is  necessary  to 
develop  the  human  soul.  2.  Education  should 
begin  early.  We  have  too  many  neglected  trees. 
3.    It   should   be   right   education.      And   4.    The 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       35 
EiXtent  of  a  teach.er's  responsibility. 

educator  should  be  a  safe  and  an  honest  man ; 
else  the  education  may  be  all  wrong  —  may  be 
worse,  even,  than  the  neglect. 

But  especially  we  may  infer  that 

SECTION   II.— THE   TEACHER   IS   RESPONSIBLE. 

It  is  the  object  of  the  following  remarks  feebly 
to  illustrate  the  extent  of  the  teacher's  responsi- 
bility. It  must  all  along  be  borne  in  mind  that 
he  is  not  alone  responsible  for  the  results  of  edu- 
cation. The  parent  has  an  overwhelming  respon- 
sibility, which  he  can  never  part  with  or  transfer 
to  another  while  he  holds  the  relation  of  parent. 

But  the  teacher  is  responsible  in  a  very  high 
degree.  An  important  interest  is  committed  to 
his  charge  whenever  a  human  being  is  placed 
under  his  guidance.  By  taking  the  position  of 
the  teacher,  all  the  responsibility  of  the  relation 
is  voluntarily  assumed ;  and  he  is  fearfully  re- 
sponsible, not  only  for  what  he  does,  but  also  for 
what  he  neglects  to  do.  And  it  is  a  responsibility 
from  which  he  can  not  escape.  Even  though  he 
may  have  thoughtlessly  entered  upon  the  relation 
of  teacher,  without  a  single  glance  at  its  obliga- 
tions ;  or  though,  when  reminded  of  them,  he 
may  laugh  at  the  thought,  and  disclaim  all  idea 
of  being  thus  seriously  held  to  a  fearful  account 
—  yet  still  the  responsibility  is  on  him.  Just  as 
true  as  it  is  a  great  thing  to  guide  the  mind 
aright, —  just  as  true  as  it  is  a  deplorable,  nay, 


36        RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 


Bodily  health. 


fatal  thing  to  lead  it  astray,  so  true  is  it  that  he 
who  attempts  the  work,  whether  ignorant  or  skill- 
ful, whether  thoughtless  or  serious,  incurs  all  the 
responsibility  of  success  or  failure, —  a  responsi- 
bility he  can  never  shake  off  as  long  as  the  hu- 
man soul  is  immortal,  and  men  are  accountable 
for  such  consequences  of  their  acts  as  are  capable 
of  being  foreseen. 

I.  The  teacher  is  in  a  degree  responsible  for 
the  BODILY  HEALTH  of  the  cMld.  It  is  well  estab- 
lished that  the  foundation  of  many  serious  dis- 
eases is  laid  in  the  school-room.  These  diseases 
come  sometimes  from  a  neglect  of  exercise ; 
sometimes  from  too  long  confinement  in  one 
position,  or  upon  one  studj^ ;  sometimes  from 
over-excitement  and  over-study ;  sometimes  from 
breathing  bad  air;  sometimes  from  being 
kept  too  warm  or  too  cold.  Now  the  teacher 
should  be  an  intelligent  physiologist ;  and  from 
a  knowledge  of  what  the  human  system  can 
bear,  and  what  it  can  not,  he  is  bound  to  be 
ever  watchful,  to  guard  against  all  those  abuses 
from  which  our  children  so  often  suffer.  Espe- 
cially should  he  be  tremblingly  alive  to  avert 
that  excitability  of  the  nervous  system,  the  over- 
action  of  which  is  so  fatal  to  the  future  happi- 
ness of  the  individual.  And  should  he,  by  appeal 
ing  to  the  most  exciting  motives,  encourage  the 
delicate  child  to  press  on  to  grasp  those  subjects 
which  are  too  great  for  its  comprehension,  and 
allow  it  to  neglect  exercise  in   the  open  air,  in 


HESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       37 
Laws  of  physical  health. —Nervous  excitement. 

order  to  task  its  feverish  brain  in  the  crowded 
and  badly  ventilated  school-room  ;  and  then,  in  a 
few  clays,  be  called  to  look  upon  the  languishing 
sufferer  upon  a  bed  of  exhaustion  and  pain  — 
perhaps  a  bed  of  premature  death,  could  he  say, 
"  I  am  not  responsible "  ?  Parents  and  teachers 
often  err  in  this.  They  are  so  eager  to  develop 
a  precocious  intellect,  that  they  crush  the  casket 
in  order  to  gratify  a  prurient  desire  to  astonish 
the  world  with  the  brilliancy  of  the  gem.  Each 
is  responsible  for  his  share  of  this  sin ;  and  the 
teacher  especially,  because  by  his  education  he 
should  know  better. 

The  growing  prevalence  of  myopia  among 
school  children  should  excite  the  watchful  care 
of  all  teachers.  Specialists  have  observed  that 
cases  of  near-sight  rapidly  increase  from  the  pri- 
mary grades  upward ;  and  so  common  has  this 
defect  of  the  eye  become,  that  it  is  now  called  a 
"  school  disease ".  The  causes  acting  within  the 
school-room  to  induce  this  m.alformation  of  the 
eye  are  the  following :  Insufficient  light,  causing 
the  pupil  to  bring  the  book  too  near  the  eye ;  a 
stooping  posture  of  the  body,  inducing  congestion 
of  the  membranes  of  the  eye ;  typography  that  is 
"trying  to  the  eye".  In  his  "School  and  Indus- 
trial Hygiene,"  Mr.  Lincoln  states  that  a  child 
with  normal  eyes  ought  to  be  able  to  read  from 
a  page  like  this,  in  a  good  light,  at  a  distance  of 
forty  inches,  and  at  all  intervening  distances 
down  to  four  inches ;   and  that  a  child  who  can 

272165 


38       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Care  of  the  eyes.  — Order  of  study. 

not  read  under  such  conditions  as  far  as  fifteen 
inches  off,  should  have  his  eyes  examined  by  a 
competent  oculist  (p.  49).  The  best  light  is  that 
vvhich  comes  from  above,  and  falls  vertically 
upon  the  book.  Though  in  most  cases  this  mode 
of  lighting  is  impracticable,  it  is  a  hint  that  the 
windows  of  school -rooms  should  be  placed  as 
high  as  possible.  The  worst  light  is  that  which 
falls  in  the  face  of  the  pupil,  or  that  which,  com- 
ing from  the  rear,  throws  a  shadow  on  his  book. 
In  rooms  of  moderate  width,  the  best  light  is 
that  which  falls  over  the  left  shoulder. 

11.  The  teaclier  is  mainly  responsible  for  the 
INTELLECTUAL  GROWTH  of  the  cMM.  This  may  be 
referred  chiefly  to  the  following  heads : — 

1.  The  order  of  study.  There  is  a  natural 
order  in  the  education  of  the  child.  The  teacher 
should  know  this.  If  he  presents  the  subjects 
out  of  this  order,  he  is  responsible  for  the  injury. 
In  general,  the  elements  should  be  taught  first. 
Those  simple  branches  which  the  child  first  com- 
prehends, should  first  be  presented.  Beading,  of 
course,  must  be  one  of  the  first ;  though  I  think 
the  day  is  not  distant  when  an  enlightened  com- 
munity will  not  condemn  the  teacher,  if,  while 
teaching  reading,  he  should  call  the  child's  atten- 
tion by  oral  instructions  to  such  objects  about 
him  as  he  can  comprehend,  even  though  in  doing 
this  he  should  somewhat  prolong  the  time  of 
learning  to  read.  It  is  indeed  of  little  conse- 
quence that  the  child  should  read  luords  simply; 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.        39 
Translation  of  thoiight.  — Mental  Arithmetic. 

and  that  teacher  may  be  viewed  as  pursuing 
the  order  of  nature,  who  so  endeavors  to  develop 
the  powers  of  observation  and  comparison,  that 
words  when  learned  shall  be  the  vehicles  of  ideas. 
Whether  the  pupil  is  merely  learning  words,  or 
is  really  gaining  ideas,  may  be  tested  in  a  very 
simple  and  effective  way :  Require  him  to  express 
the  thought  of  the  paragraph  in  his  own  ivords. 
It  he  can  do  this  accurately,  it  is  certain  that  he 
has  comprehended  the  thought ;  for  he  is  able  to 
separate  it  from  the  form  of  words  employed  by 
the  author,  and  to  embody  it  in  a  different  form. 
This  translation  of  thought  should  form  an  essen- 
tial part  of  every  reading  exercise ;  expressive 
reading  will  then  be  a  very  simple  thing.  Read- 
ing proper,  or  the  gaining  of  thought  from  the 
printed  page,  should  be  distinguished  from  elocu- 
tion, or  the  expression  of  thought.  A  rule  for 
good  teaching  is,  first  make  sure  that  the  thought 
has  been  gained,  then  attend  to  its  proper 
expression. 

Next  to  Reading  and  its  inseparable  com- 
panions— Spelling  and  Defining — I  am  inclined  to 
recommend  the  study  of  Mental  Arithmetic.  The 
idea  of  Number  is  one  of  the  earliest  in  the  mind 
of  the  child.  He  can  be  early  taught  to  count, 
and  quite  early  to  perform  those  operations  which 
we  call  adding,  subtracting,  multiplying,  and  di- 
viding. This  study  at  first  needs  no  hook.  The 
teacher  should  be  thoroughly  versed  in  "  Colburn's 
Tntellectual  Arithmetic  ",  or  its  equivalent,  and  he 


40        RESPONSISILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Recite  without  book.— G-eograpliy. 

can  find  enough  to  interest  the  child.  When  the 
scholar  has  learned  to  read,  and  has  attained  the 
age  of  six  or  seven,  he  may  be  allowed  a  book  in 
preparing  his  lesson,  but  never  during  the  recita- 
tion. Those  who  have  not  tried  this  kind  of 
mental  discipline,  will  be  astonished  at  the  facility 
which  the  child  acquires,  for  performing  opera-' 
tions  that  often  puzzle  the  adult.  Nor  is  it  an  un- 
important acquisition.  None  can  tell  its  value  but 
those  who  have  experienced  the  advantage  it  gives 
them  in  future  school  exercises  and  in  business, 
over  those  who  have  never  had  such  training. 

Oeography  may  come  next  to  Mental  Arith- 
metic. The  child  should  have  an  idea  of  the  re- 
lations of  size,  form,  and  space,  as  well  as  number, 
before  commencing  Geography.  These,  however, 
he  acquires  naturally  at  an  early  age ;  and  very 
thoroughly,  if  the  teacher  has  taken  a  little  pains 
to  aid  him  on  these  points  in  the  earliest  stage  ^3 
of  his  progress.  A  map  is  a  picture,  and  hence  a 
child  welcomes  it.  If  it  can  be  a  map  of  some 
familiar  object,  as  of  his  school -room,  of  the 
school  district,  of  his  father's  orchard  or  farm,  it 
becomes  an  object  of  great  interest.  A  map  of 
his  town  is  very  desirable,  also  of  his  county  and 
his  own  State.  Fui'ther  detail  will  be  deferred  here, 
as  it  is  only  intended  in  this  place  to  hint  at  the 
order  of  taking  up  the  subjects. 

The  purpose  of  geographical  study  may  be 
stated  to  be,  to  form  an  adequate  conception  of 
the  earth  as  the  dwelling-place  of  man. 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       41 
History.  —  Literature.  —  Other  studies. 

History  should  go  hand  in  hand  with  Geogra- 
phy. Perhaps  no  greater  mistake  is  made  than 
that  of  deferring  History  till  one  of  the  last  things 
in  the  child's  course. 

The  purpose  of  historical  study  may  be  thus 
defined :  To  form  an  adequate  conception  of  the 
most  notable  things  done  by  the  human  race. 

Literature  should  hold  a  co-ordinate  rank  with 
Geography  and  History,  its  purpose  being  to  give 
the  pupil  an  adequate  conception  of  the  most 
notable  things  written  by  the  wisest  and  the  best 
of  the  human  race.  These  three  subjects  are 
entitled  to  be  called  the  modern  culture  trivium. 

Writing  may  be  early  commenced  with  the 
pencil  upon  the  slate,  because  it  is  a  very  useful 
exercise  to  the  child  in  prosecuting  many  of  his 
other  studies.  But  writing  with  a  pen  may  well 
be  deferred  till  the  child  is  ten  years  of  age,  when 
the  muscles  shall  have  acquired  sufficient  strength 
to  grasp  and  guide  it. 

Written  Arithmetic  may  succeed  the  mental ; 
indeed,  it  may  be  practiced  along  with  it. 

Composition  —  perhaps  by  another  name,  as  De- 
scription—  should  be  early  commenced  and  very 
frequently  practiced.  The  child  can  be  early 
interested  in  this,  and  in  this  way  he  probably 
acquires  a  better  knowledge  of  practical  grammar 
than  he  could  in  any  other. 

Grammar,  in  my  opinion,  as  a  study,  should  be 
one  of  the  last  of  the  common  school  branches  to 
be  taken  up.    It  requires  more  maturity  of  mind 


42       EESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHEE. 
How  to  study.  — Not  words,  but  thoughts. 

to  understand  its  relations  and  dependencies  than 
any  other ;  and  that  which  is  taught  of  grammar 
without  such  an  understanding,  is  a  mere  smatter- 
ing of  technical  terms,  by  which  the  pupil  is  in- 
jured rather  than  improved.  It  may  be  said,  that 
unless  scholars  commence  this  branch  early,  they 
never  will  have  the  opportunity  to  learn  it.  Then 
let  it  go  unlearned ;  for,  as  far  as  I  have  seen  the 
world,  I  am  satisfied  that  this  early  and  superfi- 
cial teaching  of  a  difficult  subject  is  not  only  use- 
less, but  positively  injurious.  How  many  there 
are  who  study  grammar  for  years,  and  then  are 
obliged  to  confess  in  after  life,  because  "their 
speech  bewrayeth"  them,  that  they  never  under- 
stood it !  How  many,  by  the  too  early  study  of 
an  intricate  branch,  make  themselves  think  they 
understand  it,  and  thus  prevent  the  hope  of  any 
further  advancement  at  the  proper  age !  Gram- 
mar, then,  should  not  he  studied  too  early. 

That  form  of  grammatical  study  known  as 
Language  Lessons,  may  be  begun  at  an  early 
age.  The  purpose  of  these  lessons  is  to  instruct 
the  pupil  in  the  correct  use  of  language,  both  in 
speaking  and  in  writing,  not  by  precept  and  rule, 
but  by  practice.  This  is  the  proper  introduction 
to  grammar  proper,  or  the  formal  study  of  lan- 
guage. At  present,  there  is  such  a  strong  reac- 
tion from  grammar  to  Language  Lessons,  that 
there  is  danger  of  losing  sight  of  the  high  claims  " 
of  the  formal  study  of  language,  based  on  pars- 
ing, or  the  classification  of  words.     The   parsing 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       43 
How  to  atudy.  — Not  words,  but  thoughts. 

exercise,  when  properly  conducted,  is  an  invalua- 
ble means  of  mental  discipline  ;  in  the  art  of  clas- 
sifying, and  in  reasoning  on  contingent  matters 
parsing  is  the  logic  of  the  x)rimary  school.  It  is 
stated  in  objection  to  the  study  of  formal  gram- 
mar, that  the  rules  of  syntax  so  laboriously 
learned  have  but  little  effect  in  promoting  accu- 
racy of  speech.  It  is  a  fact  of  common  observa- 
tion that  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  proper 
uniformities  of  speech,  is  no  absolute  defense 
against  a  violation  of  these  same  uniformities ; 
but  this  merely  proves  how  obstinate  ingrained 
habit  is.  If  the  young  heard  only  the  authorized 
forms  of  speech,  they  would  have  no  need  of  the 
rules  of  formal  grammar  for  purposes  of  guid- 
ance ;  but  since  they  are  always  in  imminent 
danger  of  copying  the  incorrect  forms  of  speech 
which  they  hear,  they  need  a  defense  against 
this  danger ;  and  the  most  available  and  the 
most  effective  is  a  knowledge  of  the  much  de- 
cried English  Grammar. 

Of  the  manner  of  teaching  all  these  branches, 
[  shall  have  more  to  say  in  due  time.  At  present, 
I  have  only  noticed  the  order  in  which  they 
should  be  taken  up.  This  is  a  question  of  much 
consequence  to  the  child,  and  the  teacher  is  gen- 
erally responsible  for  it.  He  should,  therefore^ 
carefully  consider  this  matter,  that  he  may  be 
able  to  decide  aright. 

2.  The  manner  of  study.  It  is  of  quite  as  much 
importance  how  we  study,  as  what  we  study.    In- 


44       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
How  to  study.  —  Not  words,  but  thoughts. 

deed,  I  have  thought  that  much  of  the  difference 
among  men  could  be  traced  to  their  different 
habits  of  study,  formed  in  youth.  A  large  por- 
tion of  our  scholars  study  for  the  sake  of  prepar- 
ing to  recite  the  lesson.  They  seem  to  have  nc 
idea  of  any  object  beyond  recitation.  The  con- 
sequence is,  they  study  mechanically.  They  en- 
deavor to  remember  phraseology  rather  than 
principles ;  they  study  the  hooh,  not  the  subject. 
Let  any  one  enter  our  schools  and  see  the  schol- 
ars engaged  in  preparing  their  lessons.  Scarcely 
one  will  be  seen  who  is  not  repeating  over  and 
over  again  the  words  of  the  text,  as  if  there  was 
a  saving  charm  in  repetition.  Observe  the  same 
scholars  at  recitation,  and  it  is  a  struggle  of  the 
memory  to  recall  the  forms  of  words.  The  va- 
cant countenance  too  often  indicates  that  they 
are  words  without  meaning.  This  difficulty  is 
very  much  increased,  if  the  teacher  is  confined 
to  the  text-book  during  recitation ;  and  particu- 
larly if  he  relies  mainly  upon  the  printed  ques- 
tions so  often  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  page. 

The  scholar  should  be  encouraged  to  study  the 
subject;  and  his  book  should  be  held  merely  as 
the  instrument.  "  Books  are  but  helps ",  is  a 
good  motto  for  every  student.  The  teacher  should 
often  tell  how  the  lesson  should  be  learned.  His 
precept  in  this  matter  will  often  be  of  use.  Some 
scholars  will  learn  a  lesson  in  one  tenth  of  the 
time  required  by  others.  Human  life  is  too  short 
to  have  any  of  it  employed  to  disadvantage.    The 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       45 
Books  but  helps.  — Study  objects. 

teacher,  then,  should  inculcate  such  habits  of 
study  as  are  valuable  ;  and  he  should  be  particu- 
larly careful  to  break  up,  in  the  recitations,  those 
habits  which  are  so  grossly  mechanical.  A  child 
xiay  almost  be  said  to  be  educated,  who  has 
iearned  to  study  aright;  while  one  may  have 
acquired  in  the  mechanical  way  a  great  amount 
of  knowledge,  and  yet  have  no  profitable  mental 
discipline. 

For  this  difference  in  children,  as  well  as  in 
men,  the  teacher  is  more  responsible  than  any 
other  person.  Let  him  carefully  consider  this 
matter. 

3.  Collateral  study.  Books  to  be  sure  are  to 
be  studied,  and  studied  chiefly,  in  most  of  our 
schools.  But  there  is  much  for  the  teacher  to  do 
toward  the  growth  of  the  mind,  which  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  school-books ;  and  it  is  the  practical 
recognition  of  this  fact  which  constitutes  the 
great  difference  in  teachers.  Truth,  in  whatever 
department,  is  open  to  the  faithful  teacher.  And 
there  is  such  a  thing,  even  in  the  present  gener- 
ation, as  "  opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind ",  to 
discover  things  new  and  old,  in  nature,  in  the 
arts,  in  history,  in  the  relation  of  things.  With- 
out diminishing  in  the  least  the  progress  of  the 
young  in  study,  their  powers  of  observation  may 
be  cultivated,  their  perception  quickened,  their 
relish  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  indefinitely 
increased,  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  teacher. 
This  must,  of  course,  be  done  adroitly.     There  is 


46       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Teaching  to  observe.  —  Mind  not  to  be  crammed. 

such  a  thing  as  excessively  cramming  the  mind 
of  a  child,  till  he  loathes  every  thing  in  the  way 
of  acquisition.  There  is  such  a  thing,  too,  as 
exciting  an  all-pervading  interest  in  a  group  of 
children,  so  that  the  scholar  shall  welcome  the 
return  of  school-hours,  and,  by  his  cheerful  step 
and  animated  eye,  as  he  seeks  the  school-house, 
disclaim  as  false,  when  applied  to  him,  the  lan- 
guage of  the  poet,  who  described  the  schooj-boy 
of  his  darker  day, — 

"with  his  satchel, 
And  shining  morning  face,  creeping,  lilce  snail. 
Unwillingly  to  school." 

The  teacher,  who  is  responsible  for  such  a  re- 
sult, should  take  care  to  store  his  own  mind  with 
the  material,  and  exercise  the  ingenuity,  to  do 
that  which  is  of  so  much  consequence  to  the 
scholar. 

The  desire  to  interest  pupils  m  the  common 
things  about  them,  to  call  their  observing  powers 
into  systematic  exercise,  and  to  cultivate  their 
use  of  language,  led  to  an  elaboiate  system  of  Ob- 
ject Lessons ;  but  it  now  seems  to  be  the  verdict 
of  experience  that  this  formal  study  of  objects 
has  not  proved  of  high  value.  The  teacher  who 
accepts  the  lesson  on  the  ear  of  corn,  and  the 
elm-tree,  given  in  the  chapter  on  "Waking  up 
Mind",  as  types  of  this  kind  of  instruction,  will 
stand  on  safe  ground. 

III.  The  teacher  is  in  a  degree  responsible  for 
the  MORAL  TRAINING  of  the  child. 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       47 
Moral  training  neglected. —  Precept. —Example. 

I  say  in  a  degree,  because  it  is  confessed  that 
in  this  matter  very  much  hkewise  depends  upon 
parental  influence. 

This  education  of  the  heart  is  confessedly  too 
much  neglected  in  all  our  schools.  It  has  often 
been  remarked  that  "knowledge  is  power",  and 
as  truly  that  "knowledge  without  principle  to 
regulate  it  may  make  a  man  a  powerful  villain  "  ! 
It  is  all-important  that  our  youth  should  early 
receive  such  moral  training  as  shall  make  it  safe 
to  give  them  knowledge.  Very  much  of  this 
work  must  devolve  upon  the  teacher ;  or  rather, 
when  he  undertakes  to  teach,  he  assumes  the 
responsibility  of  doing  or  of  neglecting  this  work. 

The  precept  of  the  teacher  m.ay  do  much  to- 
ward teaching  the  child  his  duty  to  God,  to  him- 
self, and  to  his  fellow-beings.  But  it  is  not  mainly 
by  precept  that  this  is  to  be  done.  Sermons  and 
homilies  are  but  little  heeded  in  the  school-room  ; 
and  unless  the  teacher  has  some  other  mode  of 
reaching  the  feelings  and  the  conscience,  he  may 
despair  of  being  successful  in  moral  training. 

The  teacher  should  be  well  versed  in  human 
nature.  He  should  know  the  power  of  conscience 
and  the  means  of  reaching  it.  He  should  himself 
have  deep  principle.  His  example  in  every  thing 
before  his  school  should  be  pure,  flowing  out  from 
the  purity  of  his  soul.  He  should  ever  manifest 
the  tenderest  regard  to  the  law  of  right  and  of 
love.  He  should  never  violate  his  own  sense  of 
justice,   nor   outrage   that  of  his  pupils.     Such   a 


48       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHEE. 
Conscience  can  be  cultivated. —How? 

man  teaches  by  his  example.  He  is  a  "living 
epistle,  known  and  read  of  all."  He  teaches,  as 
he  goes  in  and  out  before  the  school,  as  words 
can  never  teach. 

The  moral  feelings  of  children  are  capable  of 
systematic  and  successful  cultivation.  Our  mus- 
cles acquire  strength  by  use ;  it  is  so  with  our 
intellectual  and  moral  faculties.  We  educate  the 
power  of  calculation  by  continued  practice,  so 
that  the  proficient  adds  the  long  column  of  fig- 
ures almost  with  the  rapidity  of  sight,  and  with 
infallible  accuracy.  So  with  the  moral  feelings. 
"The  more  frequently  we  use  our  conscience," 
says  Dr.  Wayland,  "in  judging  between  actions, 
as  right  and  wrong,  the  more  easily  shall  we 
learn  to  judge  correctly  concerning  them.  He 
who,  before  every  action,  will  deliberately  ask 
himself,  'Is  this  right  or  wrong'?  will  seldom 
mistake  what  is  his  duty.  And  children  may  do 
this  as  well  as  grown  persons."  Let  the  teacher 
appeal  as  often  as  may  be  to  the  pupil's  con- 
science. In  a  thousand  ways  can  this  be  done, 
and  it  is  a  duty  the  faithful  teacher  owes  to  his 
scholars. 

By  such  methods  of  cultivating  the  conscience 
as  the  judicious  teacher  may  devise,  and  by  his 
3wn  pure  example,  what  may  he  not  accomplish  ? 
If  he  loves  the  truth,  and  ever  speaks  the  truth ; 
if  he  is  ever  frank  and  sincere ;  if,  in  a  word,  he 
shows  that  he  has  a  tender  conscience  in  all 
things,  and   that   he   always  refers   to   it  for   its 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       49 


Evil  example  to  be  dreaded.  —  Consequences. 


approval  in  all  his  acts,  —  what  an  influence  does 
he  exert  upon  the  impressible  minds  under  his 
guidance !  How  those  children  will  observe  his 
consistent  course ;  and,  though  they  may  not 
speak  of  it,  how  great  will  be  its  silent  power 
upon  the  formation  of  their  characters  I  And  in 
future  years,  when  they  ripen  into  maturity,  how 
will  they  remember  and  bless  the  example  they 
shall  have  found  so  safe  and  salutary. 

Responsibility  in  this  matter  can  not  be  avoided. 
The  teacher  by  his  example  does  teach,  for  good 
or  for  evil,  whether  he  will  or  not.  Indifference 
will  not  excuse  him  ;  for  when  most  indifferent, 
he  is  not  less  accountable.  And  if  his  example 
be  pernicious,  as  too  often,  even  yet,  the  example 
of  the  teacher  is ;  if  he  indulges  in  outbreaks  of 
passion,  or  wanders  in  the  mazes  of  deceitful- 
ness  ;  if  the  blasphemous  oath  pollutes  his  tongue, 
or  the  obscene  jest  poisons  his  breath ;  if  he 
trifles  with  the  feelings  or  the  rights  of  others, 
and  habitually  violates  his  own  conscience, — 
what  a  blighting  influence  is  his  for  all  coming 
time  ! 

With  all  the  attachment  which  young  pupils 
will  cherish,  even  toward  a  bad  teacher,  and  with 
all  the  confidence  they  will  respose  in  him,  who 
can  describe  the  mischief  which  he  can  accom« 
plish  in  one  short  term  ?  The  school  is  no  place 
for  a  man  without  principle  ;  I  repeat,  the  school 

IS    NO    PLACE    FOR   A   MAN    WITHOUT    PRINCIPLE.      Let 

such  a  man  seek  a  livelihood  anywhere  else ;    or, 


50       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Trample  not  on  the  mind.  — Religion  our  glory — our  hope. 


failing  to  gain  it  by  other  means,  let  starvation 
seize  the  body,  and  send  the  soul  back  to  its 
Maker  as  it  is,  rather  than  he  should  incur  the 
fearful  guilt  of  poisoning  youthful  minds  and 
dragging  them  down  to  his  own  pitiable  level. 
If  there  can  be  one  sin  greater  than  another,  on 
which  heaven  frowns  with  more  awful  displeas- 
ure, it  is  that  of  leading  the  young  into  princi- 
ples of  error,  and  the  debasing  practices  of  vice. 

"O,  woe  to  those  who  trample  on  the  mind, 
That  deathless  thing  1    They  know  not  what  they  do, 
Nor  what  they  deal  with.    Man,  perchance,  may  bind 
The  flower  his  step  hath  brmsed  ;  or  light  anew 
The  torch  he  quenches;  or  to  music  wind 
Again  the  lyre-string  from  his  touch  that  flew;  — 
But  for  the  soul,  O,  tremble  and  beware 
To  lay  rude  hands  upon  God's  mysteries  there  I " 

Let  then  the  teacher  study  well  his  motives 
when  he  enters  this  profession,  and  so  let  him 
meet  his  responsibility  in  this  matter  as  to  secure 
the  approval  of  his  own  conscience  and  his  God. 

lY.  The  teacher  is  to  some  extent  responsible 
for  the  RELIGIOUS  training  of  the  young. 

We  live  in  a  Christian  land.  It  is  our  glory,  if 
not  our  boast,  that  we  have  descended  from  an 
ancestry  that  feared  God  and  reverenced  his 
word.  Very  justly  we  attribute  our  superiority 
as  a  people,  over  those  who  dwell  in  the  darker 
portions  of  the  world,  to  our  purer  faith  derived 
from  that  precious  fountain  of  truth  —  the  Bible. 
Very  justly,  too,  does  the  true  patriot  and  philan- 
thropist  rely  upon   our  faith    and   practice   as  a 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.        51 
Avoid  sectarianism.  —  Common  ground. 

Christian  people,  for  the  permanence  of  our  free 
institutions  and  our  unequaled  social  privileges. 

If  we  are  so  much  indebted,  then,  to  the  Chris- 
tian religion  for  what  we  are,  and  so  much  de- 
pendent upon  its  life-giving  truths  for  what  we 
may  hope  to  be,  —  how  important  is  it  that  all  our 
youth  should  be  nurtured  under  its  influences  ! 

When  I  say  religious  training,  I  do  not  mean 
sectarianism.  In  our  public  schools,  supported  at 
the  public  expense,  and  in  which  the  children  of 
all  denominations  meet  for  instruction,  I  do  not 
think  that  any  man  has  a  right  to  crowd  his  own 
peculiar  notions  of  theology  upon  all,  whether 
they  are  acceptable  or  not.  Yet  there  is  common 
ground  which  he  can  occupy,  and  to  which  no  rea- 
sonable man  can  object.  He  can  teach  a  reverence 
for  the  Supreme  Being,  a  reverence  for  his  Holy 
Word,  for  the  influences  of  his  Spirit,  for  the 
character  and  teachings  of  the  Savior,  and  for 
the  momentous  concerns  of  eternity.  He  can 
teach  the  evil  of  sin  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  the 
awful  consequences  of  it  upon  the  individual. 
He  can  teach  the  duty  of  ^repentance,  and  the 
privilege  of  forgiveness.  He  can  teach  our  duty 
to  worship  God,  to  obey  his  laws,  to  seek  the 
guidance  of  his  spirit,  and  the  salvation  by  his 
Son.  He  can  illustrate  the  blessedness  of  the 
divine  life,  the  beauty  of  holiness,  and  the  joyful 
hope  of  heaven  ;  —  and  to  all  this  no  reasonable 
man  will  be  found  to  object,  so  long  as  it  is  done 
in  a  truly  Christian  spirit. 


52       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Sectarianism  for  the  pulpit.— Danger  of  skepticism. 

If  not  in  express  words,  most  certainly  his  life 
and  example  should  teach  this.  Man  is  a  religious 
being.  The  religious  principle  should  be  early 
cultivated.  It  should  be  safely  and  carefully 
cultivated ;  and  as  this  cultivation  is  too  often 
entirely  neglected  by  parents,  unless  it  is  at- 
tempted by  the  teacher,  in  many  cases,  it  will 
never  be  effected  at  all. 

Of  course  all  those  points  which  separate  the 
community  into  sects,  must  be  left  to  the  family, 
the  Sabbath-school,  and  the  pulpit.  The  teacher  is 
responsible  for  his  honesty  in  this  matter.  While 
he  has  no  right  to  lord  it  over  the  private  con- 
science of  any  one,  he  is  inexcusable,  if,  believing 
the  great  truths  of  the  Bible,  he  puts  them  away 
as  if  they  concerned  him  not.  They  should  com- 
mand his  faith  and  govern  his  conduct ;  and  their 
claims  upon  the  young  should  not  be  disowned. 

At  any  rate,  the  teacher  should  be  careful  that 
his  teaching  and  his  example  do  not  prejudice  the 
youthful  mind  against  these  truths.  It  is  a  hazard- 
ous thing  for  a  man  to  be  skeptical  by  himself, 
even  when  he  locks  his  opinions  up  in  the  secrecy 
of  his  own  bosom  :  how  great  then  is  the  responsi- 
bility of  teaching  the  young  to  look  lightly  upon 
the  only  book  that  holds  out  to  us  the  faith  of 
immortality,  and  opens  to  us  the  hope  of  heaven  ! 
Let  the  teacher  well  consider  this  matter,  and  take 
heed  that  his  teaching  shall  never  lead  one  child 
of  earth  away  from  his  heavenly  Father,  or  from 
the  rest  of  the  righteous  in  the  home  of  the  blest. 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       53 


Inexcusable  indifference.— Who  is  sufficient? 


In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  the  young  can- 
didate for  the  teacher's  office,  almost  in  despair 
of  success,  may  exclaim,  "Who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things?"  "Who  can  meet  and  sustain  such 
responsibility?"  My  answer  is,  the  true  inquirer 
after  duty  will  not  go  astray.  He  is  insufficient 
for  these  things,  who  is  self-confident,  who  has 
not  yet  learned  his  own  weakness,  who  has  never 
found  out  his  own  faults,  and  who  rushes  to  this 
great  work,  as  the  unheeding  "  horse  rusheth  into 
the  battle  ",  not  knowing  whither  he  goeth.  Alas, 
how  many  there  are  who  enter  this  profession 
without  the  exercise  of  a  single  thought  of  the 
responsibleness  of  the  position,  or  of  any  of  the 
great  questions  which  must,  in  their  schools,  for 
the  first  time  be  presented  for  their  decision ! 
How  many  there  are  who  never  reflect  upon  the 
influence  of  their  example  before  the  young,  and 
are  scarcely  conscious  that  their  example  is  of 
any  consequence !  Such,  in  the  highest  sense, 
will  fail  of  success.  How  can  they  be  expected 
to  go  right,  where  there  is  only  one  right  way, 
but  a  thousand  wrong?  Let  such  persons  pause 
and  consider,  before  they  assume  responsibilities 
which  they  can  neither  discharge  nor  evade.  Let 
such  ask  with  deep  solicitude,  "Who  is  sufficient 
for  these  things?" 

But  to  the  young  person  really  desirous  of  im- 
provement ;  to  him  who  has  taken  the  first  and 
important  step  toward  knowledge,  by  making  the 
discovery  that  every  thing  is  not  already  known ; 


54       EESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHEE. 

The  honest  inquirer  may  hope.— Visit  to  the  prison. 

to  him  who  sees  beforehand  that  there  are  real 
difficulties  in  this  profession,  and  wLo  is  not  too 
proud  or  self-conceited  to  feel  the  need  of  special 
preparation  to  meet  them ;  to  him  who  has  some 
idea  of  the  power  of  example  in  the  educator, 
and  who  desires  most  of  all  things  that  his  char- 
acter shall  be  so  pure  as  to  render  his  example 
safe ;  to  him  who  has  discovered  that  there  are 
some  deep  mysteries  in  human  nature,  and  that 
they  are  only  to  be  fathomed  by  careful  study ; 
to  him  who  really  feels  that  a  great  thing  is  to 
be  done,  and  who  has  the  sincere  desire  to  prepare 
himself  to  do  it  aright ;  to  him,  in  short,  who  has 
the  true  spirit  of  the  teacher, — I  may  say,  there 
is  nothing  to  fear.  An  honest  mind,  with  the 
requisite  industry,  is  sufficient  for  these  things. 


SECTION    III.— THE    AUBURN    STATE    PRISON. 

During  my  visit  at  Auburn  in  the  autumn  of 
1845,  I  was  invited  by  a  friend  to  visit  the  prison, 
in  which  at  that  time  were  confined  between  six 
and  seven  hundred  convicts.  I  was  first  taken 
through  the  various  workshops,  where  the  utmost 
neatness  and  order  prevailed.  As  I  passed  along, 
my  eye  rested  upon  one  after  another  of  the  con- 
victs, I  confess,  with  a  feeling  of  surprise.  There 
were  many  good-looking  men.  If,  instead  of  their 
parti-colored  dress,  they  could  have  been  clothed 
in  the  citizen's  garb,  I  should  have  thought  them 
as  good  in  appearance  as  laboring  men  in  general. 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.        55 
Neatness  and  order.— Library.— Wyatt  the  murderer. 

And  when,  to  their  good  appearance,  was  added 
their  attention  to  their  work,  their  ingenuity,  and 
the  neatness  of  their  work-rooms,  my  own  mind 
began  to  press  the  inquiry,  Wliy  are  these  men 
here  ?  It  was  the  afternoon  of  Saturday.  Many 
of  them  had  completed  their  allotted  work  for 
the  week,  and  with  happy  faces  were  performing 
the  customary  ablutions  preparatory  to  the  Sab- 
bath. Passing  on,  we  came  to  the  library,  a  col- 
lection of  suitable  books  for  the  convicts,  which 
are  given  out  as  a  reward  for  diligence  to  those 
who  have  seasonably  and  faithfully  performed 
their  labor.  Here  were  many  who  had  come  to 
take  their  books.  Their  faces  beamed  with  delight 
as  they  each  bore  away  the  desired  volume,  just 
as  I  had  seen  the  faces  of  the  happy  and  the  free 
do  before.  Why  are  these  men  here  ?  was  again 
pressed  upon  me ; — why  are  these  men  here  ? 

At  this  time,  the  famous  Wyatt,  since  executed 
upon  the  gallows  for  his  crime,  was  in  solitary 
confinement,  awaiting  his  trial  for  the  murder  of 
Gordon,  a  fellow-prisoner.  I  was  permitted  to 
enter  his  room.  Chained  to  the  floor,  he  was  re- 
clining upon  his  mattress  in  the  middle  of  his 
apartment.  As  I  approached  him,  his  large  black 
eye  met  mine.  He  was  a  handsome  man.  His 
head  was  well  developed,  his  long  black  hair  hung 
upon  his  neck,  and  his  eye  was  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  I  ever  beheld.  Had  I  seen  him  in  the 
Senate  among  great  men, — ^had  I  seen  him  in  a 
school  of  philosophers,  or  a  brotherhood  of  poets. 


56       RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Sabbath,  mom.— Worship.— Singing.— Prayer. 

I  should  probably  have  selected  him  as  the  most 
remarkable  man  among  them  all,  without  sus- 
pecting his  distinction  to  be  a  distinction  of  vil- 
lainy. Why  is  that  man  here?  thought  I,  as  I 
turned  away  to  leave  him  to  his  dreadful  solitude. 

The  morrow  was  the  Sabbath.  I  could  not 
repress  my  desire  to  see  the  convicts  brought  to- 
gether for  worship.  At  the  hour  of  nine,  I  entered 
their  chapel  and  found  them  all  seated  in  silence. 
I  was  able  to  see  most  of  the  faces  of  this  inter- 
esting congregation.  It  was  by  no  means  the 
worst  looking  congregation  I  had  ever  seen.  There 
were  evidently  bad  men  there ;  but  what  congre- 
gation of  free  men  does  not  present  some  such  ? 

They  awaited  in  silence  the  commencement  of 
the  service.  When  the  morning  hymn  was  read, 
they  joined  in  the  song,  the  chorister  being  a 
colored  man  of  their  own  number.  They  sung  as 
other  congregations  sing,  and  my  voice  joined 
with  theirs.  The  Scripture  was  read.  They  gave 
a  respectful  attention.  The  prayer  was  begun. 
Some  bowed  in  apparent  reverence  at  the  com- 
mencement. Others  sat  erect,  and  two  or  three 
of  these  appeared  to  be  the  hardened  sons  of 
crime.  The  chaplain's  voice  was  of  a  deep,  per- 
haps I  should  say,  o,  fatherly  tone,  and  he  seemed 
to  have  the  Father's  spirit.  He  prayed  for  these 
"wayward  ones",  who  were  deprived  of  their 
liberty  for  their  offenses,  but  whom  God  would 
welcome  to  his  throne  of  mercy.  He  prayed  for 
their   homes,  and  for  their  friends  who  this  day 


RESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.        57 
Deep  feeling.— Speculation. — Their  teachers. 

would  send  their  thoughts  hither  in  remembrance 
of  those  in  bonds.  He  alluded  to  tlie  scenes  of 
their  childhood,  the  solicitude  of  their  early  friends, 
and  the  affection  of  their  parents.  When  the 
words  home,  friend,  childhood,  were  heard,  several 
of  those  sturdy  sons  of  crime  and  wretchedness 
instinctively  bowed  their  heads  and  concealed 
their  faces  in  their  hands  ;  and,  as  a  father's  bless- 
ing and  a  mother's  love  were  alluded  to,  more  than 
one  of  these  outcasts  from  society,  were  observed 
to  dash  the  scalding  tear  from  the  eye.  These 
men  feel  like  other  men, — luhy  cti^e  they  here  ?  was 
again  the  thought  which  forced  itself  upon  my 
mind  ;  and  while  the  chaplain  proceeded  to  his 
sermon,  in  the  midst  of  the  silence  that  pervaded 
the  room,  my  mind  ran  back  to  their  educators. 
Once  these  men  were  children  like  others.  They 
had  feelings  like  other  children,  affection,  rever- 
ence, teachableness,  conscience, — why  are  they 
here  ?  Some,  very  likely,  on  account  of  their  ex- 
traordinary perversity ;  but  most  because  they 
had  a  wrong  education.  More  than  half,  undoubt- 
edly, have  violated  the  laws  of  their  country  not 
from  extraordinary  viciousness,  but  from  the 
weakness  of  their  moral  principle.  Tempted  just 
like  other  and  better  men,  they  fell,  because  in 
early  childhood  no  one  had  cultivated  and 
strengthened  the  conscience  God  had  given  them. 
I  am  not  disposed  to  excuse  the  vices  of  men, 
nor  to  screen  them  from  merited  punishment ; 
neither  do  I  worship  a  "  painted  morality  ",  based 


58        EESPONSIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

View  to  the  final  Judgment. 

solely  upon  education,  thus  leaving  nothing  for 
the  religion  of  the  Bible  to  accomplish  by  purify- 
ing the  heart,  that  fountain  of  wickedness :  yet 
how  many  of  these  men  might  have  been  saved 
to  society ;  how  many  of  them  have  powers  which, 
under  different  training,  might  have  adorned  and 
blessed  their  race  ;  how  many  of  them  may  date 
their  fall  to  the  evil  influence  and  poisonous  ex- 
ample of  some  guide  of  their  childhood,  some 
recreant  teacher  of  their  early  days, — God  only 
knows !  But  what  a  responsibility  still  rests  upon 
the  head  of  any  such  teacher,  if  he  did  not  know, 
or  did  not  try  to  know,  the  avenue  to  their  hearts ; 
if  he  did  not  feel,  or  try  to  feel,  the  worth  of 
moral  principle  to  these  very  fallen  ones !  And 
what  would  be  his  feelings  if  he  could  look  back 
through  the  distant  days  of  the  past,  and  count 
up  exactly  the  measure  of  his  own  faithfulness 
and  his  own  neglect?  This,  the  all-seeing  eye 
alone  can  do, — this.  He  who  looketh  upon  the 
heart  ever  does ! 

Teachers,  go  forth,  then,  conscious  of  your 
responsibility  to  your  pupils,  conscious  of  your 
accountability  to  God,  go  forth  and  teach  this 
people  ;  and  endeavor  so  to  teach,  that  when 
you  meet  your  pupils,  not  in  the  walks  of  life 
merely,  not,  perhaps,  in  the  Auburn  Prison,  not, 
indeed,  upon  the  shores  of  time,  but  at  the  final 
Judgment,  where  you  must  meet  them  all,  you 
may  be  able  to  give  a  good  account  of  the 
influence  which    you    have    exerted    over   mind. 


RESPOIS'SIBILITY     OF     THE     TEACHER.       59 

Study  to  know  and  to  do. 

As  it  may  then  be  forever  too  late  to  correct 
your  errors  and  efface  any  injury  done,  study 
now  to  act  the  part  of  wisdom  and  the  part 
of  love. 

Study  the  human  heart  by  studying  the  work- 
ings of  your  own ;  seek  carefully  the  avenues 
to  the  affections ;  study  those  higher  motives 
which  elevate  and  ennoble  the  soul ;  cultivate 
that  purity  which  shall  allure  the  wayward,  by 
bright  example,  from  the  paths  of  error';  imbue 
your  own  souls  with  the  love  of  teaching  and 
the  greatness  of  your  work ;  rely  not  alone  upon 
yourselves,  as  if  by  your  own  wisdom  and  might 
you  could  do  this  great  thing ;  but  seek  that  di- 
rection which  our  heavenly  Father  never  with- 
holds from  the  honest  inquirer  after  his  guid- 
ance,—  and  though  the  teacher's  work  is,  and 
ever  must  be,  attended  with  overwhelming  re- 
sponsibility, YOU  WILL  BE  SUFFICIENT  FOR  THESE 
THINGS. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PERSONAL     HABITS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

THE  importance  of  correct  habits  to  any- 
individual  can  not  be  overrated.  The  influ- 
ence of  the  teacher  is  so  great  upon  the  chil- 
dren under  his  care,  either  for  good  or  evil, 
that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  them,  as 
well  as  to  himself,  that  his  habits  should  be 
unexceptionable.  It  is  the  teacher's  sphere  to 
improve  the  community  in  which  he  moves, 
not  only  in  learning,  but  in  morals  and  man- 
ners ;  in  every  thing  that  is  "  lovely  and  of 
good  report".  This  he  may  do  partly  by  pre- 
cept,—  but  very  much  by  example.  He  teaches, 
wherever  he  is.  His  manners,  his  appearance, 
his  character,  are  all  the  subject  of  observation, 
and  to  a  great  extent,  of  imitation,  by  the 
young  in  his  district.  He  is  observed  not  only 
in  the  school,  but  in  the  family,  in  the  social 
gathering,  and  in  the  religious  meeting.  How 
desirable,  then,  that  he  should  be  a  model  in  all 
things ! 

Man  has  been  said  to  be  a  "  bundle  of  habits  "  ; 
and  it  has  been  as  pithily  remarked :  "  Happy 
is   the    man  whose  habits    are  his    friends".    It 


PERSONAL     HABITS.  61 

Cleanliness.  —  Ablution. 

were  well  if  all  persons,  before  they  become 
teachers,  would  attend  carefully  to  the  formation 
of  their  personal  habits.  This,  unhappily,  is  not 
always  done,  —  and  therefore  I  shall  make  no 
apology  for  introducing  in  this  place  some  very 
plain  remarks  on  what  I  deem  the  essentials 
among  the  habits  of  the  teacher. 

1.  Neatness.  This  implies  cleanliness  of  the 
person.  If  some  who  assume  to  teach  were  not 
proverbial  for  their  slovenliness,  I  would  not 
dwell  on  this  point.  On  this  point,  however,  I 
must  be  allowed  great  plainness  of  speech,  even 
at  the  expense  of  incurring  the  charge  of  excess- 
ive nicety ;  for  it  is  by  attending  to  a  few  little 
things  that  one  becomes  a  strictly  neat  person. 
The  morning  ablution,  then,  should  never  be 
omitted  ;  and  the  comb  for  the  hair,  and  brush 
for  the  clothes  should  always  be  called  into 
requisition  before  the  teacher  presents  himself 
to  the  family,  or  to  his  school.  Every  teacher 
would  very  much  promote  his  own  health  by 
washing  the  whole  surface  of  the  body  every 
morning  in  cold  water.  This  is  now  done  by 
very  many  of  the  most  enlightened  teachers,  as 
well  as  others.  When  physiology  is  better  under- 
stood, this  practice  will  be  far  more  general. 
To  no  class  of  persons  is  it  more  essential  than 
to  the  teacher ;  for  on  account  of  his  confine- 
ment, often  in  an  unventilated  room,  with  half 
a  hundred  children  during  the  day,  very  much 
more  is  demanded  of  the  exhalents  in  him  than 


62  PERSONAL     HABITS 

The  teeth.  —  The  nails.  —  The  dress. 

ill  others.    His  only  safety  is  in  a  healthy  action 
of  the   skin. 

The  teeth  should  be  attended  to.  A  brush  and 
clean  water  have  saved  many  a  set  of  teeth.  It  is 
bad  enough  to  witness  the  deplorable  neglect 
of  these  important  organs  so  prevalent  in  the 
community ;  but  it  is  extremely  mortifying  to 
see  a  filthy  set  of  teeth  in  the  mouth  of  the 
teacher  of  our  youth.  The  nails,  too,  I  am  sorry 
to  say,  are  often  neglected  by  some  of  our  teach- 
ers, till  their  ebony  tips  are  any  thing  but  orna- 
mental. This  matter  is  made  worse,  when,  in 
the  presence  of  the  family  or  of  the  school,  the 
penknife  is  brought  into  requisition  to  remove 
that  which  should  have  received  attention  at  the 
time  of  washing,  in  the  morning.  The  teacher 
should  remember  that  it  is  a  vulgar  habit  to 
pare  or  clean  the  nails  while  in  the  presence  of 
others,  and  especially  during  conversation  with 
them. 

The  teacher  should  be  neat  in  his  dress.  I 
do  not  urge  that  his  dress  should  be  expensive. 
His  income  ordinarily  will  not  admit  of  this. 
He  may  wear  a  very  plain  dress ;  nor  should  it 
be  any  way  singular  in  its  fashion.  All  I  ask 
is,  that  his  clothing  should  be  in  good  taste,  and 
always  clean.  A  slovenly  dress,  covered  with 
dust,  or  spotted  with  grease,  is  never  so  much 
out  of  its  proper  place,  as  when  it  clothes  the 
teacher. 

While  upon  this  subject  I  may  be  indulged  in 


OF    THE     TEACHER.  63 

Tobacco.  —  Order,  system. 

a  word  or  two  upon  the  use  of  tobacco  by  the 
teacher.  It  is  quite  a  puzzle  to  me  to  tell  why 
any  man  but  a  Turk^^  who  may  lawfully  dream 
away  half  his  existence  over  the  fumes  of  this 
filthy  narcotic,  should  ever  use  it.  Even  if  there 
were  nothing  wrong  in  the  use  of  unnatural 
stimulants  themselves,  the  filthiness  of  tobacco 
is  enough  to  condemn  it  among  teachers,  espe- 
cially in  the  form  of  chewing.  It  is  certainly 
worth  while  to  ask  whether  there  is  not  some 
moral  delinquency  in  teaching  this  practice  to 
the  young,  while  it  is  admitted,  by  nearly  all 
who  have  fallen  into  the  habit,  to  be  an  evil, 
and  one  from  which  they  would  desire  to  be 
delivered.  At  any  rate,  I  hope  the  time  is  com- 
ing when  the  good  taste  of  teachers,  and  a  re- 
gard for  personal  neatness  and  the  comfort  of 
others,  shall  present  motives  sufficiently  strong 
to  induce  them  to  break  away  from  a  practice 
at  once  so  unreasonable  and  so  disgusting. 

2.  Order.  In  this  place  I  refer  to  that  system 
and  regularit;)  so  desirable  in  every  teacher. 
He  should  practice  it  in  his  room  at  his  board- 
ing-house. Every  thing  should  have  its  place. 
His  books,  his  clothing,  should  all  be  arranged 
with  regard  to  this  principle.  The  same  habit 
should  go  with  him  to  the  school-room.  His 
desk  there  should  be  a  pattern  of  orderly  ar- 
rangement. Practicing  this  himself,  he  may  with 
propriety  insist  upon  it  in  his  pupils.  It  is  of 
great  moment  to  the  teacher  that,  when  he  de- 


64  PERSONAL     HABITS 

Courtesy.  —Coarseness.  —  Profanity. 

mands  order  and  arrangement  among  his  pupils, 
they  can  not  appeal  to  any  breach  of  it  in  his 
own  practice. 

3.  Courtesy.  The  teacher  should  ever  be  cour- 
teous, both  in  his  language  and  in  his  manners. 
Courtesy  of  language  may  imply  a  freedom  from 
all  coarseness.  There  is  a  kind  of  communi- 
cation, used  among  boatmen  and  hangers-on  at 
bar-rooms,  which  should  find  no  place  in  the 
teacher's  vocabulary.  All  vulgar  jesting,  all  dou- 
ble-entendres,  all  low  allusions,  should  be  forever 
excluded  from  his  mouth.  And  profanity  —  can 
it  be  necessary  that  I  should  speak  of  this  as 
among  the  habits  of  the  teacher  ?  Yes,  it  is  even 
so.  Such  is  the  want  of  moral  sense  in  the  com- 
munity, that  men  are  still  employed  in  some  dis- 
tricts whose  ordinary  conversation  is  poisoned 
with  the  breath  of  blasphemy ;  ay,  and  even  the 
walls  of  the  school-room  resoiind  to  undisguised 
oaths  !  I  can  not  find  words  to  express  my  aston- 
ishment at  the  indifference  of  parents,  or  at  the 
recklessness  of  teachers,  wherever  I  know  such 
cases  to  exist. 

Speaking  of  the  language  of  the  teacher,  I 
might  urge  also  that  it  should  be  both  pure  and  ac- 
curate. Pure  as  distinguished  from  all  those  cant 
phrases  and  provincialisms  which  amuse  the  vul- 
gar in  certain  localities ;  and  accurate  as  to  the 
terms  used  to  express  his  meaning.  As  the  teacher 
teaches  in  this,  as  in  every  thing,  by  example  as 
well  as  by  precept,  he  should  be  very  careful  to 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  65 

Courtesy  of  manner.  —  Politeness. 

acquire  an  unexceptionable  use  of  our  language, 
and  never  deviate  from  it  in  the  hearing  of  his 
pupils  or  elsewhere. 

There  is  a  courtesy  of  manner^  also,  which 
should  characterize  the  teacher.  This  is  not  that 
ridiculous  obsequiousness  which  some  persons  as- 
sume, when  they  would  gain  the  good  opinion  of 
others.  It  is  true  politeness.  By  politeness  I  do 
not  mean  any  particular  form  of  words,  nor  any 
prescribed  or  prescribable  mode  of  action.  It 
does  not  consist  in  'hoiving  according  to  any  ap- 
proved plan,  nor  in  a  compliance  simply  with 
the  formulas  of  etiquette  in  the  fashionable  world. 
True  politeness  is  founded  in  benevolence.  Its 
law  is  embodied  in  the  golden  rule  of  the  Sav- 
ior:  — "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should 
do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them."  It  is  the  ex- 
ercise of  real  kindness.  It  entertains  a  just 
regard  for  the  feelings  of  others,  and  seeks  to  do 
for  them  what  would  make  them  really  happy. 

The  teacher  should  possess  this  quality.  When- 
ever he  meets  a  child,  it  should  be  with  the  looks 
and  words  of  kindness.  Whenever  he  receives 
any  token  of  regard  from  a  pupil,  he  should  ac- 
knowledge it  in  the  true  spirit  of  politeness. 
Whenever  he  meets  a  pupil  in  the  street,  or  in  a 
public  place,  he  should  cordially  recognize  him. 
In  this  way  and  a  thousand  others,  which,  if  he 
have  the  right  spirit,  will  cost  him  nothing,  he 
will  cultivate  true  courtesy  in  his  pupils.  He  can 
do  it  in  this  way  more   effectually  than  he  can 


66  PERSONAL     HABITS 

Q-ood  manners  may  be  inculcated. 

by  formally  lecturing  upon  the  subject.  True 
politeness  will  always  win  its  true  reciprocation. 
Two  teachers  were  once  walking  together  in  the 
streets  of  a  large  town  in  New  England.  Several 
lads  whom  they  met  on  the  sidewalk,  raised  their 
caps  as  they  exchanged  the  common  salutations 
with  one  of  the  teachers.  "What  boys  are  these 
that  pay  you  such  attention  as  they  pass?"  in- 
quired the  other,  "They  are  my  scholars,"  an- 
swered his  friend.  "Your  scholars!  Why,  how 
do  you  teach  them  to  be  so  very  polite  ?  Mine 
are  pretty  sure  never  to  look  at  me ;  and  gen- 
erally they  take  care  to  be  on  the  other  side  of 
the  street."  "I  am  unable  to  tell,"  said  his  friend; 
"  I  never  say  any  thing  about  it.  I  usually  bow  to 
them,  and  they  are  as  ready  to  bow  to  me."  The 
whole  secret  consisted  in  this  teacher's  meeting 
his  pupils  in  the  spirit  of  kindness. 

I  would  not,  however,  discourage  a  teacher 
from  actually  inculcating  good  manners  by  pre- 
cept. It  should  indeed  be  done.  The  manners  of 
pupils  are  too  much  neglected  in  most  of  our 
schools,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  in  most  of  our 
families.  Our  youth  are  growing  up  with  all  the 
independence  of  sturdy  young  republicans, — and, 
in  their  pride  of  freedom  from  governmental  re- 
straint, they  sometimes  show  a  want  of  respect 
for  their  seniors  and  superiors,  which  is  quite 
mortifying  to  all  lovers  of  propriety.  It  is  the 
teacher's  province  to  counteract  this;  and  in 
order    to    do    it    well,    he     should    possess    the 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  67 

The  commercial  value  of  politeness. 

virtue     of    true    courtesy,    both    in    theory    and 
practice. 

The  law  of  good  manners  and  politeness  is  the 
duty  of  being  kind  and  agreeable  to  others.  By 
means  of  this  test,  pupils  may  be  made  to  dis- 
criminate between  rudeness  and  politeness,  and 
so  to  form  an  ideal  of  conduct.  Cases  in  illustra- 
tion may  be  cited  by  the  teacher  and  discussed 
by  the  pupils,  such  as  boisterous  conversation  in 
public  places,  smoking  in  cars  where  ladies  are 
sitting,  whispering  and  giggling  during  concerts 
or  lectures,  etc. 

The  young  should  be  shown  the  commercial 
value  of  politeness,  and  taught  that  nothing  pays 
better  in  the  conduct  of  business  than  uniform 
courtesy  to  all  with  whom  we  have  dealings.  I 
once  reached  a  town  at  night,  and  made  my  way 
to  a  hotel  for  refreshment  and  rest.  It  was  with 
no  little  difficulty  that  I  finally  gained  the  ear  of 
the  clerk,  who  graciously  permitted  me  to  register 
my  name.  The  next  night  I  sought  the  hospitali- 
ties of  another  hotel.  The  clerk  spied  me  from 
afar,  took  my  hand -baggage,  promptly  ordered  a 
supper,  and  conducted  me  to  one  of  his  best 
rooms.  He  seemed  to  have  been  awaiting  my 
arrival  I  I  would  go  many  miles  to  shun  the  first 
place,  and  as  many  to  gain  the  second.  The  dif 
ference  in  the  two  cases  was  that  between  rude- 
ness and  courtesy.  We  patronize  the  tradesman 
who  treats  us  kindly  and  courteously ;  and  we 
instinctively  shun  one  who  is  rude  and  ill-natured. 


68  PERSONAL     HABITS 

Punctuality.— Dismiss  punctually. 

Punctuality.  This,  as  a  habit,  is  essential  to  the 
teacher.  He  should  be  punctual  in  every  thing. 
He  should  always  be  present  at  or  before  the 
time  for  opening  the  school.  A  teacher  who  goes 
,late  to  school  once  a  week,  or  even  once  a  month, 
can  not  very  well  enforce  the  punctual  attendance 
of  his  pupils.  I  once  knew  a  man  who,  for  seven 
long  years,  was  never  late  at  school  a  single 
minute,  and  seldom  did  he  fail  to  reach  his  place 
more  than  five  minutes  before  the  time.  I  never 
knew  but  one  such.  I  have  known  scores  who 
were  frequently  tardy,  and  sometimes  by  the  space 
of  a  ivhole  hour  ! 

A  teacher  should  be  as  punctual  in  dismissing 
as  in  opening  his  school.  I  know  that  some  make 
a  virtue  of  keeping  their  schools  beyond  the  regu- 
lar hours.  I  have  always  considered  this  a  very 
questionable  virtue.  If  a  teacher  wishes  to  stay 
beyond  his  time,  it  should  be  either  with  delin- 
quents, who  have  some  lessons  to  make  up,  or 
with  those  who  voluntarily  remain.  But,  after 
all,  if  he  has  been  strictly  punctual  to  the  hours 
assigned  for  his  various  duties  in  school,  there 
will  scarcely  be  the  necessity  for  him,  or  any  of 
his  pupils,  to  remain  beyond  the  time  for  dismis- 
sion ;  and,  as  a  general  rule,  a  regard  both  for  his 
own  health  and  theirs  should  forbid  this.  It  is 
better  to  work  diligently  while  one  does  work,  and 
not  to  protract  the  time  of  labor,  so  as  to  destroy 
one's  energy  for  to-morrow. 

This  habit  of  punctuality  should  run  through 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  69 

Regular  study.— Time  for  it. 

every  thing.  He  should  be  punctual  at  all  en- 
gagements ;  he  should  be  studiously  so  in  all  the 
detail  of  school  exercises ;  he  should  be  so  at  his 
meals,  at  his  private  studies,  at  his  hour  of  retir- 
ing  at  night  and  of  rising  in  the  morning,  and 
also  at  his  exercise  and  recreation.  This  is  neces- 
sary to  a  truly  exemplary  character,  and  it  is 
equally  as  necessary  to  good  health. 

5.  Habits  of  study.  Unless  the  teacher  takes 
care  to  furnish  his  own  mind,  he  will  soon  find 
his  present  stock  of  knowledge,  however  liberal 
that  may  be,  fading  from  his  memory  and  becom- 
ing unavailable.  To  prevent  this,  and  to  keep 
along  with  every  improvement,  he  should  regu- 
larly pursue  a  course  of  study.  I  say  regularly ; 
for  in  order  to  accomplish  any  thing  really  de- 
sirable, he  must  do  something  everj^  day.  By 
strict  system  in  all  his  arrangements,  he  may 
find  time  to  do  it ;  and  whenever  I  am  told  by  a 
teacher  that  he  can  not  find  time  to  study,  I 
always  infer  that  there  is  a  want  of  order  in  his 
arrangements,  or  a  want  of  punctuality  in  the 
observance  of  that  order.  Human  life,  indeed,  is 
short ;  but  most  men  still  further  abridge  the 
period  allotted  to  them,  by  a  disregard  of  system. 


What  has  now  been  said,  upon  the  teacher's 
spirit^  the  teacher's  responsihility,  and  the  teach- 
er's personal  habits,  will  embody,  perhaps,  my 
views  upon  the  character  of  the  individual,  who 


70  PERSONAL     HABITS. 

A  high  standard.— Excelsior  1 

may  be  encouraged  to  engage  in  the  work  of 
teaching.  Nor  do  I  think  the  requirements  in 
this  department  have  been  overstated.  I  know, 
indeed,  that  too  many  exercise  the  teacher's 
functions  without  the  teacher's  spirit  as  here  de-= 
scribed,  and  without  the  sense  of  responsibihty 
here  insisted  on,  and  with  habits  entirely  incon- 
sistent with  those  here  required.  But  this  does 
not  prove  that  such  teachers  have  chosen  the 
right  calling,  or  that  the  children  under  their 
care  are  under  safe  and  proper  guidance.  It 
proves,  rather,  that  parents  and  school  officers 
have  too  often  neglected  to  be  vigilant,  or  that 
suitable  teachers  could  not  be  had. 

Let  none  think  of  lowering  the  standard  to 
what  has  been,  or  what  may  even  now  be,  that 
of  a  majority  of  those  who  are  engaged  in  this 
profession.  Every  young  teacher's  eye  should  be 
directed  to  the  very  best  model  in  this  work ; 
and  he  should  never  be  satisfied  with  bare  medi- 
ocrity. Excelsior,  the  motto  of  the  Empire  State, 
may  well  be  the  motto  of  the  young  teacher. 


CHAPTER    V. 

LITERARY  QUALIFICATIONS  OF  THE  TEACHER. 

I  AM  now  about  to  enter  an  extensive  field. 
Since  the  teacher  is  to  be  the  life  of  the 
school,  it  is  of  great  consequence  that  he  have 
within  him  the  means  of  sustaining  life. 

As  the  statutes  in  many  of  the  states  prescribe 
the  minimum  of  attainment  for  the  teacher,  I 
might,  perhaps,  spare  myself  the  labor  of  writing 
on  this  iDoint.  Yet  in  a  thorough  work  on  the 
Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching,  this  very  prop- 
erly comes  under  consideration. 

The  profession  of  teaching  is  advancing*.  The 
present  standard  of  acquirement  demanded  of 
the  teacher,  excludes  many  who  were  considered 
quite  respectable  in  their  vocation  ten  years  ago. 
This  may  well  be  so ;  for  within  that  time  quite 
an  advance  has  been  made  in  the  compensation 
offered  to  teachers.  It  is  but  reasonable  that 
acquirement  should  keep  pace  with  the  reward 
of  it.  Indeed,  the  talent  and  attainment  brought 
into  the  field  must  always  be  in  advance  of  the 
rate  of  compensation.  The  people  must  be  first 
convinced  that  teachers  are  better  than  they 
were   years   ago,  and  then   they  will  be  ready  to 


72  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

What  a  teacher  ought  to  know. 

reward  them.  In  Massachusetts,  according  to 
statistics  in  the  possession  of  the  Hon.  Horace 
Mann,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Education,  the 
compensation  of  teachers  has  advanced  thirty- 
three  per  cent,  within  ten  years ;  nor  is  it  reason- 
able  to  suppose  that  this  advance  has  been  made 
independent  of  any  improvement  among  the 
teachers.  Their  system  of  supervision  has  in- 
creased in  strictness,  during  this  time,  in  an  equal 
ratio ;  and  many  teachers,  who  were  entirely  in- 
competent for  their  places,  have  thus  been  driven 
to  other  employments.  The  course  is  still  onward  ; 
and  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  people 
will  demand  still  more  thorough  teachers  for  the 
common  schools,  and  they  will  find  it  to  their 
interest  to  pay  for  them. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  will  not  be  my 
design  to  give  the  very  lowest  qualifications  for 
a  teacher  at  present.  I  shall  aim  to  describe 
those  which  a  teacher  ought  to  possess,  in  order 
to  command,  for  some  time  to  come,  the  respect 
of  the  enlightened  part  of  the  community.  I  will 
not  say  that  a  man,  with  less  attainment  than 
I  shall  describe,  may  not  keep  a  good  school ;  I 
have  no  doubt  that  many  do.  Yet  if  our  profes- 
sion is  to  be  really  respectable,  and  truly  deserv- 
ing of  the  regard  of  an  enlightened  people,  we 
must  have  a  still  higher  standard  oi  qualification 
than  I  shall  now  insist  on.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  studies  of  which  every  teacher 
should  have  a  competent  knowledge.    I  add  also 


OF     THE     TEAGHEB.  73 

Orthography.— Our  alphabet. 

to  each  such  word  of  comment  as  appears  to  be 
necessary. 

1.  Orthography.  This  imphes  something  more 
than  mere  spelling.  SpelKng  is  certainly  indis- 
pensable. No  person  should  ever  think  of  teach- 
ing who  is  not  an  accurate  speller.  But  the 
nature  and  powers  of  letters  should  also  be  mas- 
tered. We  have  in  our  language  about  forty 
elementary  sounds ;  yet  we  have  but  twenty-six 
characters  to  represent  them.  Our  alphabet  is 
therefore  imperfect.  This  imperfection  is  aug- 
mented by  the  fact  that  several  of  the  letters 
are  employed  each  to  represent  several  different 
sounds.  In  other  cases,  two  letters  combined 
represent  the  element.  There  are  also  letters,  as 
c,  g,  and  a;,  which  have  no  sound  that  is  not  fully 
represented  by  other  letters.  Then  a  very  large 
number  of  our  letters  are  silent  in  certain  posi- 
tions, while  they  are  fully  sounded  in  others.  It 
were  much  to  be  desired  that  we  might  have  a 
perfect  alphabet  —  that  is,  as  many  characters  as 
we  have  elementary  sounds  —  and  that  each  letter 
should  have  but  one  sound.  For  the  present  this 
can  not  be  ;  and  the  present  generation  of  teach- 
ers, at  least,  will  have  to  teach  our  present 
orthography.  Those  sj^stems  of  orthography  are 
much  to  be  preferred  which  begin  with  the  ele- 
mentary sounds,  and  then  present  the  letters  as 
their  representatives,  together  with  the  practice 
of  analyzing  words  into  their  elements,  thus 
showing  at  once  the  silent  letters  and  the  equiv- 


74  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

Few  good  readers.— Mr.  Mann's  statement. 

alents.  These  systems  may  be  taught  in  half 
the  time  that  the  old  systems  can  be ;  and  when 
acquired,  they  are  of  much  greater  practical 
utility  to  the  learner.  As  my  views  have  been 
more  fully  presented  in  the  "Normal  Chart  of 
Elementary  Sounds,"  prepared  for  the  use  of 
schools,  I  will  only  refer  the  reader  to  that 
work. 

2.  Reading.  Every  teacher  should  be  a  good 
reader.  Not  more  than  one  in  every  hundred 
among  teachers,  can  now  be  called  a  good  reader. 
To  be  able  to  read  well  implies  a  quick  perception 
of  the  meaning  as  well  as  a  proper  enunciation  of 
the  words.  It  is  a  branch  but  poorly  taught  in 
most  of  our  schools.  Many  of  the  older  pupils 
get  above  reading  before  they  have  learned  to 
read  well ;  and,  unfortunately,  many  of  our 
teachers  can  not  awaken  an  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject, because,  very  likely,  they  can  not  read  any 
better  than  their  scholars. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  ascertain  how  large 
a  proportion  of  our  youth  leave  the  schools  with- 
out acquiring  the  power  readily  to  take  the  sense 
of  any  common  paragraph  which  they  may  at- 
tempt to  read.  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  num= 
ber  is  not  small.*    In  this  way,  I  account  for  the 


:  *  Since  writing  the  above,  my  eye  has  fallen  upon  the  following, 
from  the  Second  Annual  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts 
Board  of  Education.  "I  have  devoted,"  says  Mr.  Mann,  "especial 
pains  to  learn,  with  some  degree  of  numerical  accuracy,  how  far  the 
reading  in  our  schools  is  an  exercise  of  the  mind  in  thinking  and  feel- 
ing, and  how  far  it  is  a  barren  action  of  the  organs  of  speech  upon 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  75 


Hard  labor.— Analysis  of  words. 


fact  that  so  many  cease  to  read  as  soon  as  they 
leave  school.  It  costs  them  so  much  effort  to 
decipher  the  meaning  of  a  book,  that  it  counter- 
acts the  desire  for  the  gratification  and  improve- 
ment it  might  otherwise  afford.  It  should  not  be 
so.  The  teacher  should  be  a  model  of  good  read- 
ing ;  he  should  be  enthusiastic  in  this  branch, 
and  never  rest  till  he  has  excited  the  proper  in- 
terest in  it  among  the  pupils,  from  the  oldest  to 
the  youngest,  in  the  school. 

It  would  be  well  if  our  teachers  could  be 
somewhat  acquainted  with  the  Latin  and  Greek 
languages,  as  this  would  afford  them  great  facil- 
ities in  comprehending  and  defining  many  of  our 
own  words.  As  this  can  not  be  expected  for  the 
present,  a  substitute  may  be  sought  in  some 
analysis  of  our  derivative  words.  Several  works 
on  word  -  analysis  have  been  prepared,  to  sup- 
ply, as  far  as  may  be,  the  wants  of  those  who 
have   not   studied   the   classics.    I  should  advise 

the  atmosphere.  My  information  is  derived  principally  from  the  writ- 
ten statements  of  the  school  committees  of  the  different  towns,  —  gen- 
tlemen who  are  certainly  exempt  from  all  temptation  to  disparage 
the  schools  they  superintend.  The  result  is  that  more  than  eleven 
twelfths  of  all  the  cliildren  in  the  reading  classes  in  our  schools  do 
not  understand  the  meaning  of  the  words  they  read;  that  they  do 
not  master  the  sense  of  their  reading  lessons ;  and  that  the  ideas" 
and  feelings  intended  by  the  author  to  be  conveyed  to  and  excited  in 
the  reader's  mind,  still  rest  in  the  author's  intention,  never  ha\'ing 
vet  reached  the  place  of  their  destination.  It  would  hardly  seem  that 
the  combined  efforts  of  aU  persons  engaged,  could  have  accomplished 
more  in  defeating  the  true  objects  of  reading.  How  the  cause  of  this 
deficiency  is  to  be  apportioned  among  the  legal  supervisors  of  the 
schools,  parents,  teachers,  and  authors  of  text-books,  it  is  impossible 
to  say ;  but  surely  it  is  an  e\'il  gratuitous,  widely-prevalent,  and  threat- 
ening the  most  alarming  consequences." 


76  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

"Writing.  —  Greography.  —  History. 

every    teacher,    for    his    own    benefit,    to   master 
some  one  of  these. 

8.  Writing.  It  is  not  respectable  for  the 
teacher  of  the  young  to  be  a  bad  writer  ;  nor  can 
it  ever  become  so,  even  should  the  majority  of 
bad  writers  continue  to  increase.  The  teacher 
should  take  great  pains  to  write  a  plain,  legible 
hand.     This  is  an  essential  qualification. 

4.  Geography.  A  knowledge  of  the  principles 
of  geography  is  essential.  This  implies  an  ac- 
quaintance with  the  use  of  the  globes,  and  the 
art  of  map-drawing.  The  teacher  should  be  so 
well  versed  in  geography,  that,  with  an  outline 
map  of  any  country  before  him,  he  could  give 
an  intelligent  account  of  its  surface,  people, 
resources,  history,  etc, ;  and  if  the  outline 
map  were  not  at  hand,  he  ought  to  be  able  to 
draw  one  from  memory,  —  at  least  of  each  of  the 
grand  divisions  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  United 
States. 

Nothing  is  more  necessary  for  giving  interest 
and  charm  to  geographical  instruction  than  a 
fund  of  anecdote  and  illustration,  that  may  be 
found  in  books  of  travel ;  and  such  literature 
should  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  necessary 
outfit  of  the  teacher. 

5,  History.  The  teacher  should  be  acquainted 
with  history, — at  least,  the  history  of  the  United 
States.  He  can  hardly  teach  geography  success- 
fully without  a  competent  knoAvledge  of  both 
ancient   and   modern   history.    It   should,  in   the 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  77 

Literature.— Mental  Arithmetic. 

main,  be  taught  in  our  common  schools  in  con- 
nection witli  geography. 

6.  LiTERATUEE.  If  the  teacher  aims  to  be  a 
man  of  culture,  he  must  have  an  acquaintance 
with  general  literature.  Not  to  know  what  the 
better  spirits  of  the  world  have  written,  and  not 
to  have  gained  some  appreciation  of  their  master- 
pieces, is  to  have  missed  one  of  the  prime  con- 
ditions of  high  teaching  power.  A  defense  against 
the  many  narrowing  tendencies  in  the  teacher's 
life,  may  be  found  in  the  three  catholic  studies 
just  named, — Geography,  History,  and  Literature. 

7.  Mental  Arithmetic.  Let  every  teacher  be 
thoroughly  versed  in  some  good  work  on  this 
subject.  Colburn's  was  the  first,  and  it  is  proba- 
bly the  best  that  has  been  prepared.  That  little 
book  has  done  more  than  any  other  for  the  im- 
provement of  teaching  in  this  country.  It  is  not 
enough  that  the  teacher  is  able  in  some  way  to 
obtain  the  answers  to  the  questions  proposed. 
He  should  be  able  to  give  the  reason  for  every 
step  in  the  process  he  takes  to  obtain  them,  and 
to  do  it  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner.  It  is  this 
which  constitutes  the  value  of  this  branch  as  a 
discipline  for  the  mind. 

I  may  never  forget  my  first  introdiiction  to 
this  work.  On  entering  an  academy  as  a  student, 
in  182  7,  after  I  had  "ciphered  through"  some 
four  or  five  arithmetics  on  the  old  plan,  my 
teacher  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  studied  Mental 
Arithmetic,  extending  to  me  the  little  book  above 


78  LITEEARY     QUALIFICATION'S 

■Written  Aritlunetic. 

named.  "No,  sir."  "Perhaps  you  would  like  to 
do  so."  I  opened  to  the  first  page,  and  saw  this 
question  :  "  How  many  thumbs  have  you  on  your 
right  hand?"  This  was  enough;  the  color  came 
into  my  face,  and  I  pettishly  replied,  "  I  think  I  can 
find  out  the  number  of  my  thumbs  Avithout  study- 
ing a  took  for  it."  "But,"  said  the  teacher,  "many 
of  our  young  men  have  studied  it,  and  they  think 
they  have  been  profited.  If  you  will  take  it,  and 
turn  over  till  you  find  a  little  exercise  for  your 
mind,  I  think  you  will  like  it."  His  manner  was 
open  and  sincere,  and  I  took  the  little  book.  In 
three  weeks,  I  had  mastered  it ;  and  I  had  gained, 
in  that  time,  more  knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
arithmetic  than  I  had  ever  acquired  in  all  my  life 
before.    I  no  longer  "saw  through  a  glass  darkly," 

8.  Written  Arithmetic  This  everybody  de- 
mands of  the  teacher ;  and  he  is  scarcely  in  dan- 
ger of  being  without  fair  pretensions  in  this 
branch.  He  should,  however,  know  it  by  its  prin- 
ciples, rather  than  by  its  rules  and  facts.  He 
should  so  understand  it,  that  if  every  arithmetic 
In  the  world  should  be  burned,  he  could  still 
make  another,  constructing  its  rules  and  explain- 
ing their  principles.  He  should  understand  arith- 
metic so  well,  that  he  could  teach  it  thoroughly 
though  all  text-books  should  be  excluded  from 
his  school-room.  This  is  not  demanding  too  much. 
Arithmetic  is  a  certain  science,  and  used  every 
day  of  one's  life, — the  teacher  should  be  an  entire 
master  of  it. 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  79 

English  Grrammar.— Algebra. 

9.  English  Grammae.  It  is  rare  that  a  teacher 
is  found  without  some  pretensions  to  English 
Grammar;  yet  it  is  deplorable  to  observe  how 
very  few  have  any  liberal  or  philosophical  aa 
ciuaintance  with  it.  In  many  cases,  it  is  little 
else  than  a  system  of  barren  technicalities.  The 
teacher  studies  one  book,  and  too  often  takes  that 
as  his  creed.  In  no  science,  is  it  more  necessary 
to  be  acquainted  with  several  authors.  The  per- 
son who  has  studied  but  one  text-book  on  gram- 
mar, even  if  that  be  the  best  one  extant,  is  but 
poorly  qualified  to  teach  this  branch.  There  is  a 
philosophy  of  language  which  the  teacher  should 
carefully  study ;  and  if  within  his  power,  he 
should  have  some  acquaintance  with  the  peculiar 
structure  of  other  languages  besides  his  o^ti.  It 
can  hardly  be  expected  that  the  common  teacher 
should  acquire  an  accurate  knowledge  of  other 
languages  by  actually  studying  them.  As  a  sub- 
stitute for  this,  I  would  recommend  that  the 
teacher  should  very  carefully  read  the  little  work 
of  De  Sacy  on  General  Grammar,  also  the  article 
"Grammar"  in  the  Edinburgh  and  other  ency- 
clopedias. In  this  science,  the  mind  naturally 
runs  to  bigotry ;  and  there  is  no  science  where 
the  learner  is  apt  to  be  so  conceited  upon  small 
acquirements,  as  in  grammar.  Let  the  teacher 
spare  no  pains  to  master  this  subject. 

10.  Algebra.  This  branch  is  not  yet  required 
to  be  taught  in  all  our  schools ;  yet  the  teacher 
should   have   a    thorough    acquaintance   with    it. 


80  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

Greometry.— Trigonometry. — Surveying.— Natiiral  Philosophy. 

Even  if  he  is  never  called  upon  to  teach  it  (and 
it  never  should  be  introduced  into  our  common 
schools  till  very  thorough  attainments  are  more 
common  in  the  other  branches),  still  it  so  much 
improves  the  mind  of  the  teacher,  that  he  should 
not  be  without  a  knowledge  of  it.  He  will  teach 
simple  arithmetic  much  better  for  knowing  alge- 
bra. I  consider  an  acquaintance  with  it  indispen- 
sable to  the  thorough  teacher,  even  of  the  common 
school. 

11.  Geometry.  The  same  may  be  said  of  this 
branch  that  has  been  said  of  algebra.  Probabh^ 
nothing  disciplines  the  mind  more  effectually  tha_i 
the  study  of  geometry.  The  teacher  should  pur- 
sue it  for  this  reason.  He  will  teach  other  things 
the  better  for  having  had  this  discipline,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  advantage  which  a  knowledge  of 
the  principles  of  geometry  will  give  him,  in  un- 
derstanding and  explaining  the  branches  of 
mathematics, 

12.  Plane  Trigonometry  and  Surveying.  In 
many  of  our  schools,  these  branches  are  required 
to  be  taught.  They  are  important  branches  in 
themselves,  and  they  also  afford  good  exercise  for 
the  mind  in  their  acquisition.  The  young  teacher, 
especially  the  male  teacher,  should  make  the 
acquirement. 

13.  Natural  Philosophy.  This  branch  is  not 
taught  in  most  of  our  district  schools.  The  teacher, 
however,  should  understand  it  better  than  it  is 
presented  in  many  of  the  simple  text-books  on 


OF     THE     TEACHER. 


Chemistry.— Human  Physiology. 


this  subject.  He  should  have  studied  the  philoso- 
phy of  its  principles,  and  be  fully  acquainted  with 
their  demonstration.  If  possible,  he  should  have 
had  an  opportunity  also  of  seeing  the  principles 
illustrated  by  experiment.  This  is  a  great  field ; 
let  not  the  teacher  be  satisfied  with  cropping  a 
little  of  the  herbage  about  its  borders. 

14.  Chemistry.  As  a  matter  of  intelligence, 
the  teacher  should  have  acquaintance  with  this 
branch.  It  is  comparatively  a  new  science,  but  it 
is  almost  a  science  of  miracles.  It  is  beginning 
to  be  taught  in  our  common  schools ;  and  that 
department  of  it  which  relates  to  agriculture,  is 
destined  to  be  of  vast  importance  to  the  agricul- 
tural interests  of  our  country.  "Instead  of  con- 
jecture, and  hazard,  and  doubt,  and  experiment, 
as  heretofore,  a  knowledge  of  the  composition  of 
soils,  the  food  of  plants,  and  the  processes  of  nat- 
ure in  the  culture  and  growth  of  crops,  would 
elevate  agriculture  to  a  conspicuous  rank  among 
the  exact  sciences."  *  The  teacher  should  not  be 
behind  the  age  in  this  department. 

15.  Human  Physiology.  The  teacher  should 
well  understand  this  subject.  There  is  an  unpar- 
donable ignorance  in  the  community  as  to  the 
structure  of  the  human  body,  and  the  laws  of 
health,  the  observance  of  which  is,  in  general,  a 
condition  of  longevity,  not  to  say  of  exemption 
from  disease.  By  reference  to  statistics,  it  has 
been  ascertained  that  almost  a  fourth  part  of  all 

♦  Col.  Young. 


82  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

Importance  of  a  knowledge  of  tlie  laws  of  health. 

the  children  that  are  born,  die  before  they  are 
one  year  old.  More  than  one  third  die  before 
they  are  five  years  of  age ;  and  before  the  age  of 
eight,  more  than  one  half  of  all  that  are  born  re- 
turn again  to  the  earth !  Of  those  who  survive^ 
how  many  suffer  the  miseries  of  lingering  disease, 
almost  sighing  for  death  to  deliver  them  from 
the  pangs  of  life  !  There  is  something  deplorably 
wrong  in  our  philosophy  of  living,  else  the  con- 
dition of  man  would  not  so  commonly  appear  an 
exception  to  the  truth  that  God  does  all  things 
well.*  Dr.  Woodward,  late  of  the  Massachusetts 
State  Lunatic  Hospital,  says :  "  From  the  cradle 
to  the  grave,  we  suffer  punishment  for  the  viola- 
tion of  the  laws  of  health  and  life.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  half  the  evils  of  life,  and  half  the 
deaths  that  occur  among  mankind,  arise  from 
ignorance  of  these  natural  laws ;  and  that  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  them  would  diminish  the 
sufferings  incident  to  our  present  state  of  being  in 
very  nearly  the  same  proportion."  I  know  not  how 
an  acquaintance  with  these  laws  can  be  in  any  way 
so  readily  extended  as  through  the  agency  of  our 


*  "It  is  the  vast  field  of  ignorance  pertaining  to  these  subjects,  in 
Which  quack£ry  thrives  and  fattens.  No  one  who  knows  any  thing  of  the 
organs  and  functions  of  the  human  system,  and  of  the  properties  of  those 
objects  in  nature  to  which  that  system  is  related,  can  hoar  a  quack  des- 
cant upon  the  miraculous  virtues  of  his  nostrums,  or  can  read  his  adver- 
tisements in  the  newspapers,— wherein,  fraudulently  toward  man  and 
impiously  toward  G-od,  he  promises  to  sell  an 'Elixir  of  Life',  or 'The 
Balm  of  Immortality ',  or  '  Resurrection  Pills ',— without  contempt  for  his 
ignorance  or  detestation  of  his  guilt.  Could  the  quack  administer  his 
nostrums  to  the  great  enemy.  Death,  then  indeed  we  might  expect  to  live 
forever  1  "—Horace  Mann. 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  83 


Intellectual  Philosophy. 


teachers  of  the  young.  At  any  rate,  the  teacher 
himself  should  understand  them,  both  for  his 
own  profit  and  the  means  thus  afforded  him  of 
being  directly  useful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
to  others.  I  have  already  shown  that  he  is  re- 
sponsible to  a  great  extent  for  the  bodily  health 
of  his  pupils.  A  thorough  knowledge  of  physi- 
ology will  enable  him  to  meet  this  responsibility. 
In  several  States,  legislation  now  enjoins  on 
teachers  the  duty  of  giving  instruction  on  the 
physiological  effects  of  alcohol ;  and  to  do  this 
discreetly  and  effectively,  requires  exact  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject.  Text-books  on  Physiology 
have  been  expressly  prepared  to  meet  this  new 
requirement. 

16.  Intellectual  Philosophy.  This  is  neces- 
sary for  the  teacher.  His  business  is  with  the 
mind.  He,  of  all  men,  should  know  something 
of  its  laws  and  its  nature.  He  can  know  some- 
thing, indeed,  by  observation  and  introspection ; 
but  he  should  also  learn  by  careful  study.  His 
own  improvement  demands  it,  and  his  usefulness 
depends  upon  it. 

For  the  teacher.  Psychology  may  have  all  the 
concrete  interest  of  Botany  or  Geology.  The  study 
of  mental  phenomena  is  almost  forced  on  his 
notice ;  and,  with  enough  knowledge  of  mental 
science  to  enable  him  to  interpret  the  phenomena 
of  hourly  appearance,  he  would  soon  feel  a  new 
zeal  in  his  work  and  might  make  needed  contri- 
butions to  educational  science. 


84  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

Moral  Philosopliy.— Rhetoric— Book-keeping. 

17.  Moral  Philosophy,  A  knowledge  of  this 
may  be  insisted  on  for  the  same  reasons  which 
apply  to  intellectual  philosophy.  It  is  so  impor- 
tant that  the  moral  nature  of  the  child  be  rightly 
dealt  with,  that  he  is  a  presumptuous  man  who 
attempts  the  work  without  the  most  careful  atten- 
tion to  this  subject. 

18.  Rhetoric  and  Logic  These  are  of  great 
service  to  the  teacher  personally,  as  means  of 
mental  discipline  and  the  cultivation  of  his  own 
taste.  Even  if  he  is  never  to  teach  them,  they 
will  afford  him  much  assistance  in  other  depart- 
ments of  instruction.  He  certainly  should  have 
the  advantage  of  them. 

19.  Book-keeping.  Every  teacher  should  know 
something  of  book-keeping,  at  least  by  single 
entry;  and  also  be  conversant  with  the  ordinary 
forms  of  business.  The  profound  ignorance  on 
this  subject  among  teachers  is  truly  astonishing.* 
Book-keeping  should  be  a  common-school  study. 
In  looking  over  the  able  Report  of  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Common  Schools  in  New  York,  I 
notice  in  fifty-three  counties,  during  the  winter 
of  1845-6,  that  among  225,540  pupils  in  the 
common  schools,  only  922  studied  book-keeping! 

*  A  teacher,  who  kept  a  private  school,  was  met  in  a  country  store 
one  day  by  one  of  his  patrons,  who  paid  him  for  the  tuition  of  his  child, 
asking  at  the  same  time  for  a  receipt.  The  teacher  stared  vacantly  at  his 
patron.  "  Just  give  me  a  bit  of  paper,"  said  the  patron,  "  to  show  you've 
got  the  money."  "O,  yes,  sir,"  said  the  teacher;  and  taking  a  pen  and 
paper,  wrote  the  following : 

pW°  I  have  got  the  money. 

J D . 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  85 

Science  of  Qovemment. 

That  is,  a  study,  which  in  practical  hfe  comes 
home  to  the  interest  not  only  of  every  merchant, 
but  of  every  farmer,  every  mechanic,  in  short, 
every  business  man,  is  almost  entirely  neglected 
in  the  schools, — while  it  is  yet  true  that  our 
courts  of  justice  display  evidences  of  the  most 
deplorable  ignorance  in  this  important  art.  Some 
still  keep  their  accounts  on  bits  of  paper ;  others 
use  books,  but  without  any  system,  order,  or  intelli- 
gibility ;  and  others  still,  mark  their  scores  in  chalk, 
or  charcoal,  upon  the  panel  of  the  cellar-door ! 

The  teacher  should  qualify  himself,  not  only  to 
understand  this  subject,  but  to  teach  it  in  such  a 
waj^  that  it  can  be  easily  comprehended  by  the 
classes  in  our  common  schools. 

20.  Science  of  Government.  The  teacher 
should,  at  least,  be  well  acquainted  with  the  his- 
tory and  genius  of  our  own  government,  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  and  of  his  own  State. 
In  a  republican  government,  it  is  of  great  im- 
portance that  the  young,  who  are  to  take  an  active 
part  in  public  measures  as  soon  as  they  arrive  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  should  before  that  time  be 
made  acquainted  with  some  of  their  duties  and 
relations  as  citizens.  This  subject  has  been  in- 
troduced successfully  into  many  of  our  common 
schools ;  but  whether  it  is  to  be  matter  of  formal 
teaching  or  not,  it  is  a  disgrace  *  to  a  teacher  and 


*  Not  long  since  a  teacher  of  a  public  school  alforded  lasting  amtise- 
ment  for  the  hangers-on  at  a  country  grocery.  He  was  jeered  for  he- 
longing  to  the  whig  party  by  which  Mr.  Tyler  was  brought  into  power. 


86  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS 

Drawing.— Vocal  Music. 

to  his  profession,  to  be  ignorant  of  the  provisions 
of  the  constitution  for  the  mode  of  choosing  our 
rulers.* 

21.  Drawin'g.  The  good  teacher  should  under- 
stand the  principles  of  drawing.  He  should  also 
he  able  to  practice  this  art.  It  is  of  great  conse- 
quence to  him.  Without  neglect  of  other  things, 
children  can  be  very  profitably  taught  this  art  in 
the  common  schools.  In  the  absence  of  apparatus, 
it  is  the  teacher's  only  way  of  addressing  the  eye 
of  his  pupils,  in  illustrating  his  teaching.  Every 
teacher  should  take  pains,  not  only  to  draw,  but 
to  draw  well. 

2  2.  Vocal  Music.  It  is  not  absolutely  essential, 
though  very  desirable,  to  the  good  teacher,  that 
he  should  understand  music,  theoretically  and 
practically.  Music  is  becoming  an  exercise  in  our 
best  schools ;  and  wherever  introduced  and  judi- 
ciously conducted,  it  has  been  attended  with  pleas- 
ing results.  It  promotes  good  reading  and  speak- 
ing, by  disciplining  the  ear  to  distinguish  sounds ; 
and  it  also  facilitates  the  cultivation  of  the  finer 
feelings  of  our  nature.  It  aids  very  much  in  the 
government  of  the  school,  as  its  exercise  gives 
vent  to  that  restlessness  which  otherwise  would 
find  an  escapement  in  boisterous  noise  and  whis- 

"No,  no,"  said  he,  "  I  voted  for  Q-en.  Harrison,  but  I  never  voted  for  John 
Tyler.''''  "How  did  you  do  that?"  inquired  a  by-stander.  '■'■  'Why,  1  cut 
T'yler''s  name  off  of  the  ticlcet,  to  be  sure  1 " 

*  "  That  which  contributes  most  to  preserve  the  state,  is  to  educate 
children  with  reference  to  the  state  ;  for  the  most  useful  laws  will  be  of 
no  service,  if  the  citizens  are  not  accustomed  to  and  brought  up  in  the 
principles  of  the  constitution."— ^mtoife. 


OF     THE     TEACHEE.  87 

Safety-valve.— Martin  Luther.— Remarks. 

pering, — and  thus  it  often  proves  a  safety-valve, 
through  which  a  love  of  vociferation  and  activity 
may  pass  off  in  a  more  harmless  and  a  more 
pleasing  way.  "The  school-master  that  can  not 
sing,"  says  Martin  Luther,  "I  would  not  look 
upon."  Perhaps  this  language  is  too  strong ;  but 
it  is  usually  more  pleasant  to  look  upon  a  school 
where  the  school-master  can  sing. 


I  have  thus  gone  through  with  a  list  of  studies 
which,  it  seems  to  me,  every  one  who  means  to 
be  a  good  teacher,  even  of  a  common  school, 
should  make  himself  acquainted  with.  I  w^ould 
not  condemn  a  teacher  who,  having  other  good 
qualities,  and  a  thorough  scholarship  as  far  as  he 
has  gone,  might  lack  several  of  the  branches 
above  named.  There  have  been  many  good  teach- 
ers without  all  this  attainment;  but  how  much 
better  they  might  have  been  with  it ! 

I  have  made  this  course  of  study  as  limited  as 
I  possibly  could,  taking  into  view  the  present 
condition  and  wants  of  our  schools.  No  doubt 
even  more  will  be  demanded  in  a  few  years.  I 
would  have  the  present  race  of  teachers  so  good, 
that  they  shall  be  looked  upon  by  those  who  suc- 
ceed them,  as  their  "  luorthy  and  efficient  prede- 
cessor s^ 

I  ought  in  this  place  to  add  that  the  teacher 
increases  his  influence  and,  consequently,  his  use- 


88  LITEEAEY     QUALIFICATIONS 

General  knowledge  desirable.— A  suggestion. 

fulness,  in  proportion  as  he  makes  himself  con- 
versant with  general  knowledge.  This  is  too 
much  neglected.  The  teacher,  by  the  fatigue  of 
his  employment  and  the  circumstances  of  his  life 
is  strongly  tempted  to  content  himself  with  what 
he  already  knows,  or,  at  best,  to  confine  himself 
to  the  study  of  those  branches  which  he  is  called 
upon  to  teach.  He  should  stoutly  resist  this 
temptation.  He  should  always  have  some  course 
of  study  marked  out,  which  he  will  systematically 
pursue.  He  should,  as  soon  as  possible,  make 
himself  acquainted  generally  with  the  subject  of 
astronom}^,  the  principles  of  geology,  in  short,  the 
various  branches  of  natural  history.  He  will  find 
one  field  after  another  open  before  him  ;  and  if  he 
will  but  have  the  perseverance  to  press  forward, 
even  in  the  laborious  occupation  of  teaching,  he 
may  make  himself  a  well-informed  man. 

I  will  venture  one  other  suggestion.  I  have 
found  it  a  most  profitable  thing  in  the  promotion 
of  my  own  improvement,  to  take  up  annually,  or 
oftener,  some  particular  subject  to  be  pursued 
with  reference  to  writing  an  extended  lecture 
upon  it.  This  gives  point  to  the  course  of  read- 
ing, and  keeps  the  interest  fixed.  When  the 
thorough  investigation  has  been  made,  let  the 
lecture  be  written  from  memory,  embodying  all 
the  prominent  points,  and  presenting  them  in  the 
most  striking  and  systematic  manner.  It  should 
be  done,  too,  with  reference  to  accuracy  and  even 
elegance  of  style,  so  that  the  composition  may  be 


OF     THE     TEACHER.  89 

A  point  gained.— Self-improvement. 

yearly  improved.  In  this  way,  certain  subjects  are 
forever  fixed  in  the  mind.  One  who  carefully 
reads  for  a  definite  object,  and  afterward  writes 
the  results  from  memory,  never  loses  his  hold 
upon  the  facts  thus  appropriated. 

No  matter  what  a  teacher's  opportunities  for 
professional  training  may  have  been,  he  should 
ever  feel  himself  under  obligations  to  work  in 
the  line  of  self -improvement.  As  education  is  a 
matter  of  life,  activity,  and  growth,  these  qualities 
should  manifest  themselves  in  the  teacher  in  a 
pre-eminent  degree.  A  teacher  who  has  ceased 
to  be  an  active  student,  has  lost  the  secret  of  his 
greatest  power.*  In  the  presence  of  a  cultured 
man  or  woman  who  is  animated  by  the  zeal  of  a 
scholar,  the  young  imbibe  the  scholarly  spirit  by 
a  sort  of  induction.  Taking  the  teaching  class 
as  it  is,  it  must  be  confessed  that  active  scholar- 
ship is  not  one  of  its  marks.  There  is  more  than 
one  cause  for  this.  In  most  cases,  teaching  is  an 
avocation,  and  so  professional  improvement  is 
not  a  matter  of  self-interest ;  in  many  cases,  an 
imperfect  academic  training  has  left  behind  it 
the  bane  of  complacent  self-satisfaction  ;  and  in 
all  cases,  generally  speaking,  there  is  lacking  the 
stimulus  to  progress  which  comes  from  an  exact- 
ing auditory.  As  our  pupils  are  satisfied  with 
less  than  we  have,  we  do  not  feel  obliged  to  strive 
after  more  than  we  have. 

*  "  How  shall  he  give  kindling  in  whose  inward  man  there  is  no  live 
coal,  but  all  is  burnt  out  to  a  dead  grammatical  cinder? "—  Carlyle. 


90  LITERARY     QUALIFICATIONS. 

Public  opinion.— Reading  Circles. 

Public  opinion,  acting  through  school  officers, 
is  now  stimulating  the  teaching  class  to  higher 
literary  and  professional  qualifications,  and  there 
is  every-where  manifest  a  sincere  desire  on  the} 
part  of  teachers  to  meet  these  reasonable  require- 
ments. The  difficulty  consists  in  not  knowing 
what  definite  things  to  do,  or  how  to  do  them, 
and  in  not  having  the  hope  of  a  tangible  reward. 
In  response  to  these  needs,  State  organizations, 
known  as  "Reading  Circles",  are  now  in  process 
of  formation.*  The  general  plan  is  to  prescribe 
a  course  of  reading  in  two  main  fines, — profes- 
sional, including  the  art,  the  science,  and  the 
history  of  education,  and  in  general  literature, 
comprising  History  and  Belles-lettres.  Examina- 
tions and  certificates  of  proficiency  are  provided 
for,  and  it  is  expected  that  examining  boards  will 
credit  candidates  with  the  work  done  in  these 
Circles.  This  is  a  movement  in  the  right  line, 
and  deserves  hearty  encouragement. 

*  Such  organizations  have  now  been  made  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  niinois, 
Iowa,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  and  New  York. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

EVERY  teacher,  before  he  begins  the  work  of 
instruction,  should  have  some  definite  idea 
of  wliat  constitutes  an  education  ;  otherwise,  he 
may  work  to  very  httle  purpose.  The  painter, 
who  would  execute  a  beautiful  picture,  must  have 
beforehand  a  true  and  clear  conception  of  beauty 
in  his  own  mind.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
sculptor.  That  rude  block  of  marble,  unsightly 
to  the  eyes  of  other  men,  contains  the  godlike 
form,  the  symmetrical  proportion,  the  life-like 
attitude  of  the  finished  and  polished  statue  ;  and 
the  whole  is  as  clear  to  his  mental  eye  before 
the  chisel  is  applied,  as  it  is  to  his  bodily  vision 
when  the  work  is  completed.  With  this  perfect 
ideal  in  the  mind  at  the  outset,  every  stroke  of 
the  chisel  has  its  object.  Not  a  blow  is  struck, 
but  it  is  guided  by  consummate  skill ;  not  a  chip 
is  removed,  but  to  develop  the  ideal  of  the  artist. 
And  when  the  late  unsightly  miarble,  as  if  by 
miraculous  power,  stands  out  before  the  aston- 
ished spectator  in  all  the  perfection  of  beauty, — 
when  it  almost  breathes  and  speaks,  —  it  is  to  the 
artist  but  the  realization  of  his  own  conception. 
Now  let  the  same  astonished  and  delighted  spec- 


92  EIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATIOlSr. 

A  spectator's  eflPorts.— The  diflference. 

tator,  with  the  same  instruments,  attempt  to  pro- 
duce another  statue  from  a  similar  block.  On  this 
side,  he  scores  too  deep ;  on  the  other,  he  leaves  a 
protuberance  ;  here,  by  carelessness,  he  encroaches 
upon  the  rounded  limb ;  there,  by  accident,  he 
hews  a  chip  from  off  the  nose ;  by  want  of  skill, 
one  eye  ill-mates  the  other  ;  one  hand  is  distorted 
as  if  racked  by  pangs  of  the  gout ;  the  other  is 
paralyzed  and  deathlike.  Such  would  be  his  sig- 
nal failure.  Thus  he  might  fail  a  thousand  times. 
Indeed,  it  would  be  matter  of  strange  surprise,  if, 
in  a  thousand  efforts,  he  should  once  succeed. 

Now  the  difference  between  the  artist  and  the 
spectator  lies  chiefly  in  this :  the  one  knows  be- 
forehand what  he  means  to  do,  —  the  other  works 
without  any  plan.  The  one  has  studied  beauty 
till  he  can  see  it  in  the  rugged  block  ;  the  other 
only  knows  it  when  it  is  presented  to  him.  The 
former,  having  an  ideal,  produces  it  with  unerring 
skill ;  the  latter,  having  no  conception  to  guide 
him,  brings  out  deformity. 

"What  sculpture  is  to  the  block  of  marble," 
says  Addison,  "  education  is  to  the  human  soul ;  " 
and  may  I  not  add,  that  the  sculptor  is  a  type 
of  the  true  educator,  —  while  the  spectator,  of 
whom  I  have  been  speaking,  may  aptly  represent 
too  many  false  teachers,  who,  without  study  or 
forethought,  enter  upon  the  delicate  business  of 
fashioning  the  human  soul,  blindly  experimenting 
amidst  the  wreck  of  their  heaven-descended  ma- 
terial, maiming   and   marring,  with  scarcely   the 


RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION.  93 

Blindness  of  employers.— Illustrated. 

possibility  of  final  success,  —  almost  with  the  cer- 
tainty of  a  melancholy  failure ! 

In  other  things  besides  education,  men  are 
wiser.  They  follow  more  the  teachings  of  nature 
and  of  common  sense.  But  in  education,  where 
a  child  has  but  one  opportunity  for  mental  train- 
ing, as  he  can  be  a  child  but  once, — where  suc- 
cess, unerring  success,  is  every  thing  to  him  for 
time  and  eternity,  and  where  a  mistake  may  be 
most  ruinous  to  him,  —  in  education,  men  often 
forget  their  ordinary  wisdom  and  providence,  and 
commit  the  most  important  concerns  to  the  most 
incompetent  hands.  "The  prevailing  opinions," 
says  Geo.  B.  Emerson,  "  in  regard  to  this  art  are 
such  as  the  common  sense  of  mankind  and  the 
experience  of  centuries  have  shown  to  be  absurd 
as  to  every  other  art  and  pursuit  of  civilized  life. 
To  be  qualified  to  discourse  upon  our  moral  and 
religious  duties,  a  man  must  be  educated  by 
years  of  study ;  to  be  able  to  minister  to  the 
body  in  disease,  he  must  be  educated  by  a  care- 
ful examination  of  the  body  in  health  and  in 
disease,  and  of  the  effects  produced  on  it  by 
external  agents ;  to  be  able  to  make  out  a  con- 
veyance of  property,  or  to  draw  a  writ,  he  must 
be  educated  ;  to  navigate  a  ship,  he  must  be  edu- 
cated by  years  of  service  before  the  mast  or  on 
the  quarter-deck  ;  to  transfer  the  products  of  the 
earth  or  of  art  from  the  producer  to  the  con- 
sumer, he  must  be  educated ;  to  make  a  hat  or 
a  coat,  he  must  be  educated  by  years  of  appren- 


94  RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

Many  poor  teachers.— Defects  in  teaching. 

ticeship ;  to  make  a  plow,  he  must  be  educated ; 
to  make  a  nail,  or  a  shoe  for  a  horse  or  an  ox, 
he  must  be  educated.  But  to  prepare  a  man  to 
do  all  these  things,  —  to  train  the  body  in  its 
most  tender  years,  according  to  the  laws  of  health, 
so  that  it  should  be  strong  to  resist  disease — to 
fill  the  mind  with  useful  knowledge,  to  educate  it 
to  comprehend  all  the  relations  of  society,  to  bring 
out  all  its  powers  into  full  and  harmonious  ac- 
tion— to  educate  the  moral  nature,  in  which  the 
very  sentiment  of  duty  resides,  that  it  may  be 
fitted  for  an  honorable  and  worthy  fulfillment  of 
the  public  and  private  offices  of  life,  —  to  do  all 
this  is  supposed  to  require  no  study,  no  appren- 
ticeship, no  preparation ! " 

Many  teachers,  therefore,  encouraged  by  this 
unaccountable  indifference  in  the  community, 
have  entered  the  teacher's  profession  without  any 
idea  of  the  responsibilities  assumed,  or  of  the  end 
to  be  secured  by  their  labors,  aside  from  receiv- 
ing, at  the  close  of  their  term,  the  compensation 
for  their  service  in  dollars  and  cents.  And  even 
many  who  have  entered  this  profession  with  good 
intentions,  have  made  the  most  deplorable  mis- 
takes from  a  want  of  an  adequate  idea  of  what 
constitutes  an  education.  Too  often  has  educat- 
ing a  child  been  considered  simply  the  act  of 
imparting  to  it  a  certain  amount  of  knowledge^ 
or  of  "  carrying  it  through  "  a  certain  number  of 
studies,  more  or  less.  Education  has  too  fre- 
quently been  held  to  be  a  cultivation  of  the  in- 


EIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION.  95 

Knowledge  may  be  unsafe. — A  great  question. 

tellectual  to  the  neglect  of  the  moral  powers ; 
and  the  poor  body,  too,  except  among  savages, 
has  had  but  little  share  in  its  privileges  or  bene- 
fits. In  a  very  large  number  of  our  schools,  the 
physical  and  the  moral  have  both  been  sacrificed 
to  the  intellectual.  Even  some  of  our  public 
speakers  have  dwelt  upon  the  necessity  of  intel- 
ligence to  the  perpetuity  of  our  free  institutions, 
scarcely  seeming  to  be  aware  that  intelligence, 
without  moral  principle  to  direct  and  regulate  it, 
might  become  the  very  engine  through  which 
evil  men  might  effect  our  overthrow.  Who  has 
not  seen  that  an  educated  man,  without  virtue, 
is  but  the  more  capable  of  doing  evil  ?  Who  does 
not  know  that  knowledge  misdirected,  becomes, 
instead  of  a  boon  to  be  desired,  a  bane  to  be 
deprecated  ? 

From  what  has  been  said,  I  place  it  among 
the  highest  qualifications  of  the  teacher  that  he 
should  have  just  views  of  education.  I  consider 
it  all-important  that  he  should  have  a  well- 
defined  object  at  which  to  aim,  whenever  he 
meets  a  young  mind  in  the  transition  state.  He 
should  have  an  ideal  of  a  well-educated  human 
soul,  tenanting  a  healthy,  well-developed  human 
body ;  an  ideal  which  he  at  once  and  systematic- 
ally labors  to  reach,  as  does  the  sculptor  when 
he  commences  his  work  upon  the  quarried  mar- 
ble. "What  is  it  to  educate  a  human  being 
aright?"  should  be  one  of  the  first  questions  the 
candidate  for  the  teacher's  office  should  ask  him- 


96  EIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

Resulti  of  inqtiiry.— Knowledge  not  undervalued. 

self  with  the  deepest  seriousness.  I  say  the  can- 
didate;  for  this  question  should  be  settled,  if 
possible,  hefore  he  begins  his  work.  It  is  a  great 
question,  and  he  may  not  be  able  to  answer  it  in 
a  day.  Let  him  consult  the  dictates  of  his  own 
mind,  —  let  him  consult  the  teachings  of  experi- 
ence and  of  wisdom,  as  they  are  to  be  found  in 
the  writings  of  Milton,  Locke,  Wyse,  Cousin, 
Brougham,  and  others  of  the  eastern  continent, 
and  of  Wayland,  Potter,  Mann,  Gr.  B.  Emerson, 
Dwight,  and  many  others  of  our  own  countrymen. 
Let  him,  enlightened  by  all  this,  carefully  observe 
human  nature  around  him  ;  consider  its  tenden- 
cies, its  wants,  and  its  capabilities ;  and  after  a 
patient  survey  of  all  the  truth  he  can  discover 
upon  the  subject,  let  him  come  to  an  honest  con- 
clusion as  to  what  is  a  correct  answer  to  the  query 
v/ith  which  he  started  —  "What  is  it  to  educate  a 
human  being  aright?" 

The  conclusions  of  the  honest  and  intelligent 
inquirer  after  the  truth  in  this  matter,  will  be 
something  like  the  following  :  —  That  education 
(from  e  and  duco,  to  lead  forth)  is  development ; 
that  it  is  not  instruction  merely  —  knowledge, 
facts,  rules  —  communicated  by  the  teacher,  but 
it  is  discipline,  it  is  a  waking  up  of  the  mind,  a 
growth  of  the  mind,  —  growth  by  a  healthy  assim- 
ilation of  wholesome  aliment.  It  is  an  inspiring 
of  the  mind  with  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  growth, 
enlargement,  —  and  then  a  disciplining  of  its 
powers  so  far  that  it  can  go  on  to  educate  itself. 


RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION.  97 

Discipline  the  primary  purpose. 

It  is  the  arousing  of  the  child's  mind  to  think, 
without  thinking  for  it ;  it  is  tlie  awakening  of 
its  powers  to  observe,  to  remember,  to  reflect,  to 
combine.  It  is  not  a  cultivation  of  the  memory 
to  the  neglect  of  every  thing  else ;  but  it  is  a 
calling  forth  of  all  the  faculties  into  harmonious 
action.  If  to  possess  facts  simply  is  education, 
then  an  encyclopedia  is  better  educated  than  a 
man. 

It  should  be  remarked  that  though  knowledge 
is  not  education,  yet  there  will  be  no  education 
without  knowledge.  Knowledge  is  ever  an  inci- 
dent of  true  education.  No  man  can  be  properly 
educated  without  the  acquisition  of  knowledge ; 
the  mistake  is  in  considering  knowledge  the  end 
when  it  is  either  the  incident  or  the  means  of 
education.  The  discipline  of  the  mind,  then,  is 
the  great  thing  in  intellectual  training ;  and  the 
question  is  not,  how  much  have  I  acquired?  — 
but,  how  have  my  powers  been  strengthened  in 
the  act  of  acquisition? 

Nor  should  the  intellectual  be  earlier  culti- 
vated than  the  moral  powers  of  the  mind.  The 
love  of  moral  truth  should  be  as  early  addressed 
as  the  love  of  knowledge.  The  conscience  should 
be  early  exercised  in  judging  of  the  character  of 
the  pupil's  own  acts,  and  every  opportunity  af- 
forded to  strengthen  it  by  legitimate  use.  Nor 
should  the  powers  of  the  mind  be  earlier  culti- 
vated than  those  of  the  body.  It  is  the  theory  of 
some,  indeed,  that  the  body  should  engross  most 


98  RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

The  whole  man  to  be  educated. 

of  the  attention  for  several  of  the  first  years  of 
childhood.  This,  I  think,  is  not  nature's  plan. 
She  cultivates  all  the  powers  at  once, — the  body, 
mind,  and  heart.  So  should  the  teacher  do. 
"Education,"  in  the  pertinent  language  of  Mr. 
Fox,*  "  has  reference  to  the  whole  man,  the  body, 
the  mind,  and  the  heart ;  its  object,  and,  when 
rightly  conducted,  its  effect  is,  to  make  him  a 
complete  creature  after  his  kind.  To  his  frame 
it  would  give  vigor,  activity,  and  beauty ;  to  his 
senses,  correctness  and  acuteness ;  to  his  intellect, 
power  and  truthfulness  ;  to  his  heart,  virtue.  The 
educated  man  is  not  the  gladiator,  nor  the  scholar, 
nor  the  upright  man,  alone ;  but  a  just  and  well- 
balanced  combination  of  all  three.  Just  as  the 
educated  tree  is  neither  the  large  root,  nor  the 
giant  branches,  nor  the  rich  foliage,  but  all  of 
them  together.  If  you  would  mark  the  perfect 
man,  you  must  not  look  for  him  in  the  circus, 
the  university,  or  the  church,  exclusively ;  but 
you  must  look  for  one  who  has  ^mens  sana  in 
corpore  sano' — a  healthful  mind  in  a  healthful 
body.  The  being  in  whom  you  find  this  union, 
is  the  only  one  worthy  to  be  called  educated.  To 
make  all  men  such,  is  the  object  of  education." 

I  have  dwelt  thus  fully  on  thife  subject,  be- 
cause it  is  so  obvious  that  egregious  mistakes 
are  made  in  education.  How  many  there  are 
who  are  called  "  good  scholars "  in  our  schools,  of 
whom  we  hear  nothing  after  they  go  forth  into 

♦  Lecture  before  the  Am.  Institute,  1835. 


EIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION,  99 

Errors  in  education. 

the  world.  Their  good  scholarship  consists  in 
that  which  gives  them  no  impulse  to  go  on  to 
greater  attainments  by  themselves.  Their  learn- 
ing is  either  that  of  reception — as  the  sponge 
takes  in  water — or  that  of  mere  memory.  Their 
education  is  not  discipline ;  it  kindles  none  of 
those  desires  which  nothing  but  further  progress 
can  satisfy ;  it  imparts  none  of  that  self-reliance 
which  nothing  but  impossibilities  can  ever  sub- 
due. Wliile  these  are  pointed  out  by  their  teach- 
ers as  the  ornaments  of  their  schools,  there  are 
others,  known  as  the  heav}',  dull,  "poor  scholars", 
in  no  way  distinguished  but  by  their  stupidity, — 
of  whom  no  hopes  are  entertained,  because  of 
them  nothing  is  expected, — who  in  after-life  fairly 
outstrip  their  fellows  and  strangely  astonish  their 
teachers.  Almost  every  teacher  of  fifteen  years' 
experience  has  noticed  this.  Now,  why  is  it  so? 
There  must  have  been  somehow  in  such  cases  a 
gross  misjudgment  of  character.  Either  those 
pupils  who  promised  so  much  by  their  quickness, 
were  educated  wrong,  and  perhaps  educated  too 
much,  while  their  teachers  unwittingly  and  unin- 
tentionally educated  their  less  distinguished  com- 
I)anions  far  more  judiciously ;  or  else,  nature  in 
such  cases  must  be  said  to  have  been  playing 
such  odd  pranks  that  legitimate  causes  could  not 
produce  their  legitimate  effects.  We  must  charge 
nature  as  being  extremely  capricious,  or  we  must 
allege  that  the  teachers  entirely  misunderstood 
their  work,  failing  where  they  expected  most,  and 


100  RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

Need  of  a  science  of  education. 

succeeding,  as  if  by  chance — almost  against  their 
will — where  they  expected  least.  I  incline  to  the 
latter  alternative ;  and  hence  I  infer  that  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  teaching  a  mind  naturally  active 
too  much — exciting  it  too  much, — so  that  it  will 
prematurely  exhaust  its  energies  and  gladly  settle 
back  into  almost  imbecility ;  and  that  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  leaving  the  mind  so  much  to  its 
own  resources,  that  without  dazzling  the  beholder 
like  the  flash  of  the  meteor  when  it  glares  upon 
the  startled  vision,  it  may  be  silently  gathering 
materials  to  support  the  more  enduring  light  of 
the  m.orning-star  which  anon  will  rise  in  majesty 
and  glory. 

It  will  be  well  for  our  youth  when  our  teachers 
shall  so  understand  human  nature,  and  so  com- 
prehend the  science  and  the  art  of  education, 
that  these  mistakes  shall  seldom  occur ;  and  when 
he  who  tills  the  nobler  soil  of  the  mind,  shall, 
with  as  much  faith  and  as  much  certainty  as  he 
who  tills  the  literal  field,  rely  upon  the  fulfillment 
of  heaven's  unchangeable  law :  "  Whatsoever  a 
man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

Education,  in  its  absolute  sense,  is  a  process 
that  aims  at  realizing  the  typical  man. 

Among  trees,  we  observe  various  degrees  of 
perfection  as  to  form  and  structure ;  and  in  esti- 
mating the  degree  of  perfection,  we  compare  the 
given  specimen  with  a  typical  tree  of  its  kind. 
We  conceive  that  each  tree  of  a  species  is  fash- 
ioned  after   an   ideal  —  a   perfect    and    invariable 


RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION.  101 

Education  as  an  ideal. 

pattern ;  and  the  ideal  cultivation  of  a  tree 
would  consist  in  causing  it  to  grow  into  its  typi- 
cal form. 

Every  animal  of  a  given  species,  as  a  horse^ 
approaches  its  type  in  a  greater  or  less  degree ; 
and  the  ideal  training  of  an  animal  would  consist 
in  having  it  grow  into  the  type  of  its  kind. 

In  man,  there  are  numberless  degrees  of  phys- 
ical perfection.  At  one  extreme,  there  is  un- 
sightly deformity,  at  the  other  divine  beauty,  and 
between,  an  ascending  scale  of  infinite  gradations. 
In  mind,  the  range  is  from  imbecility  to  inspired 
genius,  with  countless  gradations  between.  In 
morals,  the  slow  ascent  is  from  the  monster  to  the 
saint.  In  each  of  these  three  orders  of  growth, 
the  ascent  is  toward  an  ideal  type ;  and  the 
sphere  of  education,  as  a  conscious  art,  is  to  lead 
man  up  to  the  typical  perfection  of  his  physical, 
mental,  and  moral  being. 

The  type  toward  which  education  aspires  is  a 
mental  creation.  The  best  specimens  that  come 
under  our  notice  are  imperfect ;  and  to  the  ideal 
that  is  formed  from  the  aggregate  of  the  highest 
observed  excellences,  the  mind  adds  something  of 
its  own  to  complete  the  tj^De. 

All  human  beings  are  under  the  law  of  ascent 
toward  a  typical  form.  This  is  their  law  of 
growth.  The  natural  education  of  man  takes 
place  through  the  unassisted  action  of  this  law; 
just  as  a  plant,  when  abandoned  to  itself,  will 
undergo  a  fortuitous  growth.     This   natural  edu- 


102  RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

Education  defined.— Limitationa 

cation  is  the  typical  education  in  only  one  re- 
spect :  an  upivard  tendency  in  the  line  of  growth. 

Education  in  the  absolute  sense  above  illus- 
trated, has  been  thus  defined :  "  The  harmonious 
and  equable  evolution  of  the  human  powers." 

This  conception  of  education  is  subject  to  the 
following  limitations  in  practice : 

1.  It  comprehends  the  whole  period  of  life, 
from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  while  in  practice, 
the  period  of  education  is  limited  to  a  few  years. 

2.  It  involves  physical,  mental,  moral,  and  re- 
ligious training,  while  the  efforts  of  the  actual 
educator  can  scarcely  extend  beyond  the  train- 
ing of  the  intellect. 

8.  It  aims  at  the  perfection  of  the  human 
being  as  a  whole,  while  the  exigencies  of  life 
require  men  to  be  trained  for  specific  duties. 

Under  these  limitations,  education  becomes 
nearly  synonymous  with  instruction,  and  may  be 
defined  as  a  process  having  three  purposes : 

1.  To  develop  the  intellectual  faculties,  so  as 
to  produce  robustness  of  mind  and  habits  of  ready 
and  accurate  thinking. 

2.  To  furnish  the  mind  with  knowledge  for 
use. 

3.  To  impart  skill  in  the  use  of  instrumental 
knowledge. 

The  difference  between  education  in  its  abso- 
lute sense,  and  education  under  its  practical  limi- 
tations, may  be  illustrated  as  follows : 

If   a  tree   or  a  shrub  is   needed  for  a   special 


RIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION.  103 

Special  training,  and  its  results. 

use,  as  for  a  hedge,  the  cultivator  abandons  the 
tj^pical  form  and  determines  tlie  growth  into  a 
modified  form.  Whenever  one  part  of  a  vegeta- 
ble, as  the  root,  the  flower,  or  the  seed,  becomes 
especially  valuable,  the  idea  of  symmetrical  growth 
is  abandoned,  and  this  part  is  given  an  abnormal 
(unnatural)  growth. 

In  training  a  horse,  instead  of  aiming  at  the 
most  perfect  specimen  of  his  kind,  the  horse- 
man may  train  him  for  the  race-course,  or  the 
plow,  or  the  saddle.  A  modified  form  is  found 
more  useful,  and  so  the  typical  form  is  aban- 
doned. 

There  is  an  antagonism  between  man  as  an 
ideal  of  his  kind,  and  man  as  an  instrument  of 
service  ;  and  education  is  forced  to  depart  from 
her  ideal  in  order  to  fit  man  for  the  limitations 
under  which  he  lives.  To  make  a  lawyer,  or  a 
carpenter,  there  must  be  some  departure  from  the 
course  of  training  that  would  lead  up  to  the  typ- 
ical man. 

By  reason  of  the  limitations  of  time,  education, 
as  a  practical  art,  must  abandon  formal  physical 
and  moral  training.  Phj^sical  soundness  must  be 
a  postulate,  and  direct  moral  and  religious  train- 
ing must  be  relegated  to  the  family  and  the 
church. 

A  liberal  education  aims  at  the  ideal  perfec- 
tion of  the  mind.  Its  purpose  is  to  give  it  all 
possible  perfection  as  the  instrument  of  thought, 
to   furnish   it  with   knowledge    the   most   fit   for 


104  EIGHT     VIEWS     OF     EDUCATION. 

A  professional  education. 

the   man,  and  to   train  it  to  a  dexterous   use   of 
all  its  energies. 

A  professional  or  technical  education  either 
supplants  or  supplements  a  liberal  education.  It 
is  either  the  instrument  alone,  or  the  man  first 
and  then  the  instrument.* 

*  "  The  end  desired  must  be  known  before  the  way.  All  means  or 
arts  of  education  will  be,  in  the  first  instance,  determined  by  the  ideal 
we  entertain  of  it."— Kichtek,  Levana,  p.  29. 


CHAPTER    YII. 

RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

FROM  what  has  been  said  of  Education,  it  is 
very  obvious  that  it  is  no  small  thing  to  be 
a  successful  teacher.  It  is  admitted  by  all  that 
the  teacher  should  be  apt  to  teach.  He  can  not 
be  useful  without  this.  He  may  have  an  unim- 
peachable character ;  he  may  have  the  most  lib- 
eral and  thorough  literary  acquirements ;  he  may 
deeply  feel  his  responsibility,  and  yet  after  all  he 
may  fail  to  teach  successfully. 

Aptness  to  teach  has  been  said  to  be  a  native 
endowment,  a  sort  of  instinct,  and  therefore  in- 
capable of  being  improved  by  experience  or  in- 
struction,— an  instinct  such  as  that  which  guides 
the  robin,  though  hatched  in  an  oven,  to  build  a 
perfect  nest  like  that  of  its  parent,  without  ever 
having  seen  one.  I  am  of  opinion  that  such  in- 
stincts in  men  are  rare  ;  but  that  aptness  to  teach, 
like  aptness  to  do  any  thing  else,  is  usually  an 
acquired  power,  based  upon  a  correct  knowledge 
of  what  is  to  be  done,  and  some  accurate  estimate 
of  the  fitness  of  the  means  used  for  the  end.  If 
there  are  exceptions  to  this,  they  are  very  un- 
common ;  and  the  safer  way,  therefore,  for  the 
majority   of  teachers,    is,   to   study  carefully  the 


106  EIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

A  mistake.— The  way  literary  nurselings  are  made. 

rationale  of  their  processes,  and  to  rely  rather 
upon  sound  and  philosophical  principles  in  their 
teaching,  than  upon  a  very  doubtful  intuition. 

One  of  the  most  common  errors  into  which 
young  teachers  fall  (and  some  old  ones  too),  is 
that  of  misjudging  of  the  degree  of  assistance 
which  the  young  scholar  needs  in  the  pursuit  of 
learning.  There  are  a  few  who  forget  the  diffi- 
culties which  impeded  their  own  perception  of 
new  truths  when  learners,  and  therefore  have  no 
sympathy  with  the  perplexities  which  surround 
the  children  under  their  charge,  when  they  en- 
counter like  difficulties.  They  refuse  to  lend  a 
helping  hand,  even  where  it  is  needed,  and  by 
making  light  of  the  child's  doubts,  perhaps  sneer- 
ing at  his  unsuccessful  struggles,  they  dishearten 
him  so  far  that  imaginary  obstacles  become  insur- 
mountable, and  he  gives  up  in  despair.  But  a 
far  more  numerous  class  tend  toward  the  other 
extreme.  From  a  mistaken  kindness,  or  a  mis- 
taken estimate  of  the  child's  ability,  or  both,  they 
are  disposed  to  do  quite  too  much  for  him,  and 
thus  they  diminish  his  power  to  help  himself. 
The  child  that  is  constantly  dandled  upon  the 
lap  of  its  nurse  and  borne  in  her  arms  to  what- 
ever point  it  may  desire  to  go,  does  not  soon 
learn  to  walk ;  and  when  it  at  length  makes  the 
attempt,  it  moves  not  with  the  firm  tread  of  him 
who  was  early  taught  to  use  his  own  limbs. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  literary  dandling  prac- 
ticed   in    our    schools ;    and  as  a  consequence,  a 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  107 

Anecdote  of  folly. — Pouring-in.— The  "oral  hobby." 

great  many  of  our  children  are  mere  sickly 
nurselings,  relying  upon  leading-strings  while  in 
the  school  and  falling,  for  very  weakness,  just 
as  soon  as  the  supporting  hand  is  withdrawn. 
This  evil  is  so  common  and  in  some  instances 
so  monstrous,*  that  I  shall  be  pardoned  if  I  dwell 
upon  it  a  little  more  fully. 

In  illustrating  this  subject,  I  must  mention 
two  processes  of  teaching,  not,  indeed,  exactly 
opposite  to  each  other,  though  widely  different, — 
into  one  or  both  of  which  many  of  our  teachers 
are  very  liable  to  fall.  I  shall,  for  the  sake  of  a 
name,  designate  the  former  as  the 


SECTION   I.— POURING-IN   PROCESS. 

This  consists  in  lecturing  to  a  class  of  children 
upon  every  subject  which  occurs  to  the  teacher, 
it  being  his  chief  aim  to  bring  before  them,  in 
a  limited  time,  as  many  facts  as  possible.  It  is 
as  if  he  should  provide  himself  with  a  basket  of 
sweetmeats,  and  every  time  he  should  come 
within  reach  of  a  child,  should  seize  him  and 
compel  him  to  swallow  —  regardless  of  the  condi- 
tion of  his  stomach  —  whatever  trash  he   should 


*  Not  long  since  I  visited  a  school,  where  the  teacher  with  much  self- 
complacency  requested  me  to  examine  the  writing  of  the  children.  It 
was  indeed  very  fair.  But  when  I  drew  from  him  the  fact  that  he  first  ■ 
wrote  each  page  himself  with  a  lead  pencil  and  only  required  his  schol- 
ars to  Mack  his  marks  over  with  ink,  and  that  with  imremitting  labor  he  did 
this  week  after  week  for  all  the  writers  in  his  school,  I  knew  not  which 
most  to  wonder  at,  the  docility  of  the  children  or  the  weakness  of  the 
teacher.    The  writing  ceased  to  be  wonderful. 


108  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Victims  of  kindness.— Passive  recipient.— A  jug. 

happen  first  to  force  into  his  mouth.  Children 
are  indeed  fond  of  sweetmeats,  but  they  do  not 
like  to  have  them  administered,  —  and  every 
physiologist  knows  there  is  such  a  thing  as  eat- 
ing enough  even  of  an  agreeable  thing  to  make 
one  sick  and  thus  produce  loathing  forever 
after.  Now  many  teachers  are  just  such  mis- 
guided caterers  for  the  mind.  They  are  ready  to 
seize  upon  the  victims  of  their  kindness,  force 
open  their  mental  gullets,  and  pour  in,  without 
mercy  and  without  discretion,  whatever  sweet 
thing  they  may  have  at  hand,  even  though  they 
surfeit  and  nauseate  the  poor  sufferer.  The  mind, 
by  this  process,  becomes  a  mere  passive  recipient, 
taking  in,  without  much  resistance,  whatever  is 
presented  till  it  is  full. 

"A  passive  recipient!"  said  one  to  his  friend, 
"  what  is  a  passive  recipient  ?  "  "  A  passive  recip- 
ient/' replied  his  friend,  "  is  a  two-gallon  jug.  It 
holds  just  two  gallons,  and  as  it  is  made  of  pot- 
ter's ware,  it  can  never  hold  but  just  two  gal- 
lons." This  is  not  an  unfit  illustration  of  what  I 
mean  by  making  the  mind  a  passive  recipient. 
Whenever  the  teacher  does  not  first  excite  in- 
quiry, first  pre],  are  the  mind  by  waking  it  up  to 
a  desire  to  know,  and  if  possible  to  find  out  by 
itself,  but  proceeds  to  think  for  the  child,  and  to 
give  him  the  results,  before  they  are  desired  or 
before  they  have  been  sought  for, — he  makes  the 
mind  of  the  child  a  two-gallon  jug,  into  which 
he  may  pour  just  two  gallons,  but  no  more.    And 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  109 

Mind  weakened.— Drawing-out.— Leading  questions. 

if,  day  after  day,  he  should  continue  to  pour  in, 
day  after  day  he  may  expect  that  what  he  pours 
in  will  all  run  over.  The  mind,  so  far  as  reten- 
tion is  concerned,  will  act  like  the  jug ;  that  is, 
a  part  of  what  is  poured  in  to-day,  will  be  diluted 
by  a  part  of  that  which  is  forced  in  to-morrow, 
and  that  again  will  be  partially  displaced  and 
partially  mingled  with  the  next  day's  pouring,  till 
at  length  there  will  be  nothing  characteristic  left. 
But  aside  from  retention,  there  is  a  great  differ- 
ence between  the  jug  and  the  mind.  The  former 
is  inert  material  and  may  be  as  good  a  jug  after 
such  use  as  before  ;  but  the  mind  suffers  by  every 
unsuccessful  effort  to  retain. 

This  process  of  lecturing  children  into  imbe- 
cility is  altogether  too  frequently  practiced ;  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  intelligent  teachers  will 
pause  and  inquire  before  they  pursue  it  further. 

The  other  process  to  which  I  wish  to  call 
attention,  is  that  which,  for  the  sake  of  distin- 
guishing it  from  the  first,  I  shall  denominate  the 

SECTION    II.— DRAWING-OUT   PROCESS. 

This  consists  in  asking  what  the  lawyers  call 
leading  questions.  It  is  practiced,  usually,  when- 
ever the  teacher  desires  to  help  along  the  pupil. 
"John,"  says  the  teacher  when  conducting  a 
recitation  in  Long  Division,  "  what  is  the  num- 
ber to  be  divided  called?"  John  hesitates.  "Is 
it  the  dividend?"   says  the  teacher.    "Yes,  sir  — 


110  EIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

An  example.— A  spectator  astonislied.— TeacMng  Histoiy  1 

the  dividend."  "Well,  John,  what  is  that  which 
is  left  after  dividing  called?  —  the  remainder  —  is 
it?"  "Yes,  sir."  A  visitor  now  enters  the  room, 
and  the  teacher  desires  to  show  off  John's  tal- 
ents. "Well,  John,  of  what  denomination  is  the 
remainder  ?  " 

John  looks  upon  the  floor. 

"Isn't  it  always  the  same  as  the  dividend, 
John?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Very  well,  John,"  says  the  teacher,  sooth- 
ingly, "  what  denomination  is  this  dividend  ? " 
pointing  to  the  work  upon  the  board.  "  Dollars,  is 
it  not?" 

"Yes,  sir ;  dollars." 

"Very  well;  now  what  is  this  remainder?" 

John  hesitates. 

"Why,  dollars^  too,  isn't  it?"  says  the  teacher. 

"  O,  yes,  sir,  dollars ! "  says  John,  energetic- 
ally, while  the  teacher  complacently  looks  at  the 
visitor  to  see  if  he  has  noticed  how  correctly  John 
has  answered ! 

A  class  is  called  to  be  examined  in  History. 
They  have  committed  the  text-book  to  memory — 
that  is,  they  have  learned  the  words.  They  go 
on  finely  for  a  time.  At  length  one  hesitates. 
The  teacher  adroitly  asks  a  question  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  text.  Thus  :  "  Early  in  the  inorning, 
on  the  11th  of  September^  what  did  the  ivhole 
British  army  do?"  The  pupil,  thus  timely  reas- 
sured, proceeds :    "  Early  in  the  morning^  on  the 


EIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING,  111 

A  further  example. 

11th  of  September,  the  whole  British  army,  drawn 
up  in  two  divisions,  commenced  the  expected  as- 
sault." Here  again  she  pauses.  The  teacher  pro- 
ceeds to  inquire  :  "  Well, — '  Agreeably  to  the  plan 
of  Howe,  the  right  wing '  did  what  ?  " 

Pupil.  "  Agreeably  to  the  plan  of  Howe,  the 
right  wing " 

Teacher.  "  The  right  wing,  commanded  by 
whom  ?  " 

Pupil.  "  O  !  '  Agreeably  to  the  plan  of  Howe, 
the  right  wing,  commanded  by  Knyphausen,  made 
a  feint  of  crossing  the  Brandywine  at  Chad's 
Ford,'"  etc. 

This  is  a  very  common  way  of  helping  a  dull 
pupil  out  of  a  difficulty ;  and  I  have  seen  it  done 
so  adroitly,  that  a  company  of  visitors  would  agree 
that  it  was  wonderful  to  see  how  thoroughly  the 
children  had  been  instructed ! 

I  may  further  illustrate  this  drawing-out  pro- 
cess, by  describing  an  occiu'rence,  which,  in  com- 
pany with  a  friend  and  fellow-laborer,  I  once 
witnessed.  A  teacher,  whose  school  we  visited, 
called  upon  the  class  in  Colburn's  First  Lessons. 
They  rose,  and  in  single  file  marched  to  the, usual 
place,  with  their  books  in  hand,  and  stood  erect. 
It  was  a  very  good-looking  class. 

"Where  do  you  begin?"  said  the  teacher,  tak- 
ing the  book. 

Pupils.    On  the  80th  page,  3d  question. 

Teacher.    Read  it,  Charles. 

Charles.     {Beads.)     "A  man  being  asked  how 


112  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Yes,  sir. —Hard  mental  labor. 

many  sheep  he  had,  said  that  he  had  them  in 
two  pastures ;  in  one  pasture  he  had  eight ;  that 
three  fourths  of  these  were  just  one  third  of  what 
he  had  in  the  other.  How  many  were  there  in 
the  other?" 

Teacher.  Well,  Charles,  you  must  first  get 
one  fourth  of  eight,  must  you  not? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.  Well,  one  fourth  of  eight  is  two, 
isn't  it? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir ;  one  fourth  of  eight  is  two. 

Teacher.  Well,  then,  three  fourths  will  be 
three  times  two,  won't  it? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.    Well,  three  times  two  are  six,  eh  ? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.  Very  well.  (A  pause.)  Now  the 
book  says  that  this  six  is  just  one  third  of  what 
he  had  in  the  other  pasture,  don't  it? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.  Then  if  six  is  one  third,  three  thirds 
will  be — three  times  six,  won't  it? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.  And  three  times  six  are — eighteen, 
ain't  it? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.  Then  he  had  eighteen  sheep  in  the 
other  pasture,  had  he? 

Charles.    Yes,  sir. 

Teacher.    Next,  take  the  next  one. 

At   this    point    I    interposed,    and    asked    the 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  113 

An  interposition.— Process  of  Extraction. 

teacher  if  lie  would  request  Charles  to  go  through 
it  alone,  "  O,  yes,"  said  the  teacher  ;  "  Charles, 
you  may  do  it  again."  Charles  again  read  the 
question,  and  —  looked  up.  "Well,"  said  the 
teacher,  "you  must  first  get  one  fourth  of  eight, 
mustn't  3'ou?"  "Yes,  sir."  "And  one  fourth  of 
eight  is  two,  isn't  it?"  "Yes,  sir."  And  so  the 
process  went  on  as  before  till  the  final  eighteen 
sheep  were  drawn  out  as  before.  The  teacher 
now  looked  round,  with  an  air  which  seemed  to 
say,  "Now  I  suppose  you  are  satisfied." 

"  Shall  I  ask  Charles  to  do  it  again  ?  "  said  I. 
The  teacher  assented.  Charles  again  read  the 
question,  and  again — looked  up.  I  waited,  and  he 
waited ;  but  the  teacher  could  not  wait.  "  Why, 
Charles,"  said  he,  impatiently,  "  you  want  one 
fourth  of  eight,  don't  you?"  "Yes,  sir,"  said 
Charles,  promptly ;  and  I  thought  best  not  to 
insist  further  at  this  time  upon  a  repetition  of 
"  yes,  sir ",  and  the  class  were  allowed  to  proceed 
in  their  own  way. 

This  is,  indeed,  an  extreme  case,  and  yet  it  is 
but  a  fair  sample  of  that  teacher's  method  of 
stupefying  mind.  This  habit  of  assisting  the 
pupil  to  some  extent,  is,  however,  a  very  common 
one,  and  as  deleterious  to  mind  as  it  is  common. 
The  teacher  should  at  once  abandon  this  practice 
and  require  the  scholar  to  do  the  talking  at  reci- 
tation. I  need  hardly  suggest  that  such  a  course 
of  extraction  at  recitation,  aside  from  the  waste 
of  time  by  both  parties,  and  the  waste  of  strength 


114  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Study  discouraged.— Helping  tlie  pupil. 

by  the  teacher,  has  a  direct  tendency  to  make 
the  scholar  miserably  superficial.  For  why  should 
he  study,  if  he  knows  from  constant  experience 
that  the  teacher,  by  a  leading  question,  will  re- 
lieve him  from  all  embarrassment?  It  has  often 
been  remarked,  that  "  the  teacher  makes  the 
school".  Perhaps  in  no  way  can  he  more  effectu- 
ally make  an  inefficient  school,  than  by  this 
drawing-out  process. 

I  look  upon  the  two  processes  just  described, 
as  very  prominent  and  prevalent  faults  in  our 
modern  teaching ;  and  if  by  describing  them  thus 
fully,  I  shall  induce  any  to  set  a  guard  upon 
their  practice  in  this  particular,  I  shall  feel  amply 
rewarded. 


SECTION    III.— THE    MORE    EXCELLENT    WAY. 

It  is  always  a  very  difficult  question  for  the 
teacher  to  settle,  "  How  far  shall  I  help  the  pupil, 
and  how  far  shall  the  pupil  be  required  to  help 
himself?"  The  teaching  of  nature  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  pupil  should  be  taught  mainly 
to  depend  on  his  own  resources.  This,  too,  I 
think,  is  the  teaching  of  common  sense.  What- 
ever is  learned,  should  be  so  thoroughly  learned, 
that  the  next  and  higher  step  may  be  compara- 
tively easy.  And  the  teacher  should  always  in- 
quire, when  he  is  about  to  dismiss  one  subject, 
whether  the  class  understand  it  so  well  that  they 
can  go  on   to  the   next.     He   may,  indeed,  some- 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  115 

Dangerous  when  excessive.— The  true  medium. 

times  give  a  word  of  suggestion  during  the  prep- 
aration of  a  lesson,  and,  by  a  seasonable  hint, 
save  the  scholar  the  needless  loss  of  much  time 
But  it  is  a  very  great  evil  if  the  pupils  acquire 
the  habit  of  running  to  the  teacher  as  soon  as  a 
slight  difficulty  presents  itself,  to  request  him  to 
remove  it.  Some  teachers,  when  this  happens, 
will  send  the  scholar  to  his  seat  with  a  reproof 
perhaps,  while  others,  with  a  mistaken  kindness, 
will  answer  the  question  or  solve  the  problem 
themselves,  as  the  shortest  way  to  get  rid  of  it. 
Both  these  courses  are,  in  general,  wrong.  The 
inquirer  should  never  be  frowned  upon ;  this  may 
discourage  him.  He  should  not  be  relieved  from 
labor,  as  this  will  diminish  his  self-reliance  with- 
out enlightening  him  ;  for  whatever  is  done  for  a 
scholar  without  his  having  studied  closely  upon 
it  himself,  makes  but  a  feeble  impression  upon 
him,  and  is  soon  forgotten.  The  true  way  is, 
neither  to  discourage  inquiry  nor  answer  the 
question.  Converse  with  the  scholar  a  little  as 
to  the  principles  involved  in  the  question ;  refer 
him  to  principles  which  he  has  before  learned,  or 
has  now  lost  sight  of ;  perhaps  call  his  attention 
to  some  rule  or  explanation  before  given  to  the 
class ;  go  just  so  far  as  to  enlighten  him  a  little 
and  put  Mm  on  the  scent ^  then  leave  him  to 
achieve  the  victory  himself.  There  is  a  great 
satisfaction  in  discovering  a  difficult  thing  for 
one's  self, — and  the  teacher  does  the  scholar  a 
lasting  injury  who  takes  this  pleasure  from  him. 


116  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

"Not  to-day,  sir."— "I've  got  it!" 

The  teacher  should  be  simply  suggestive,  but 
should  never  take  the  glory  of  a  victory  from  the 
scholar  by  doing  his  work  for  him,  at  least,  not 
until  he  has  given  it  a  thorough  trial  himself. 

The  skill  of  the  teacher,  then,  will  be  best 
manifested,  if  he  can  contrive  to  awaken  such  a 
spirit  in  the  pupil,  that  he  shall  be  very  unwilHng 
to  be  assisted ;  if  he  can  kindle  up  such  a  zeal, 
that  the  pupil  will  prefer  to  try  again  and  again 
before  he  will  consent  that  the  teacher  shall 
interpose.  I  shall  never  forget  a  class  of  boys, 
some  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age,  who  in  the 
study  of  algebra  had  imbibed  this  spirit.  A  diffi- 
cult question  had  been  before  the  class  a  day  or 
two,  when  I  suggested  giving  them  some  assist- 
ance. "iVb^  to-day,  sir,"  was  the  spontaneous  ex- 
clamation of  nearly  every  one.  Nor  shall  I  forget 
the  expression  that  beamed  from  the  countenance 
of  one  of  them,  when,  elated  with  his  success,  he 
forgot  the  proprieties  of  the  school  and  audibly 
exclaimed,  "Tve  got  it  I  Fve  got  it!'"'  It  was  a 
great  day  for  him ;  he  felt,  as  he  never  before 
had  felt,  his  own  might.  Nor  was  it  less  gratify- 
ing to  me  to  find  that  his  fellows  were  still  un- 
willing to  know  his  method  of  solution.  The 
next  day,  a  large  number  brought  a  solution  of 
their  own,  each  showing  evidence  of  originality. 
A  class  that  has  once  attained  to  a  feeling  like 
this,  will  go  on  to  educate  themselves,  when 
they  shall  have  left  the  school  and  the  living 
teacher. 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  117 

Other  than  book-studies. 

As  to  the  communication  of  knowledge,  aside 
from  that  immediately  connected  with  school- 
studies,  there  is  a  more  excellent  way  than  that 
of  pouring  it  in  hj  the  process  already  described. 
It  is  but  just  that  I  should  give  a  specimen  of 
the  method  of  doing  this.  I  shall  now  proceed 
to  do  so,  under  the  head  of 

SECTION    IV.— WAKING    UP    MIND. 

The  teacher  of  any  experience  knows,  that  if 
he  will  excite  a  deep  and  profitable  interest  in 
his  school,  he  must  teach  many  things  besides 
hook-studies.  In  our  common  schools,  there  will 
always  be  a  company  of  small  children,  who,  not 
yet  having  learned  to  read  understandingly,  will 
have  no  means  of  interesting  themselves  and 
must  depend  mainly  upon  the  teacher  for  the 
interest  they  take  in  the  school.  This  to  them  is 
perhaps  the  most  critical  period  of  their  lives. 
Whatever  impression  is  now  made  upon  them 
will  be  enduring.  If  there  they  become  disgusted 
with  the  dullness  and  confinement  of  school,  and 
associate  the  idea  of  pain  and  repulsiveness  with 
that  of  learning,  who  can  describe  the  injury 
done  to  their  minds?  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
teacher  is  really  skillful,  and  excites  in  them  a 
spirit  of  inquiry  and  leads  them  in  suitable  ways 
to  observe,  to  think,  and  to  feel  that  the  school 
is  a  happy  place  even  for  children,  it  is  one  great 
Doint  gained. 


118  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 


Q-eneral  exercise.— A  specimen. 


I  may  suggest,  here,  then,  that  it  would  be 
well  to  set  apart  a  few  minutes  once  a  day  for  a 
general  exercise  in  the  school,  when  it  should  be 
required  of  all  to  lay  by  their  studies,  assume  an 
erect  attitude,  and  give  their  undivided  attention 
to  whatever  the  teacher  may  bring  before  them. 
Such  a  course  would  have  its  physiological  ad- 
vantages. It  would  relieve  the  minds  of  all  for 
a  few  minutes.  The  erect  attitude  is  a  healthful 
one.  It  would  also  serve  as  a  short  respite  from 
duty  and  thus  refresh  the  older  scholars  for 
study.  I  may  further  add,  that,  for  the  benefit 
of  these  small  children,  every  general  exercise 
should  be  conducted  with  reference  to  them,  and 
such  topics  should  be  introduced  as  they  can 
understand. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  the  following  remarks  to 
give  a  specimen  of  the  manner  of  conducting 
such  exercises,  for  a  few  days,  with  reference  to 
waking  up  mind  in  the  school  and  also  in  the 
district. 

Let  us  suppose  that  the  teacher  has  promised 
that  on  the  next  day,  at  ten  minutes  past  ten 
o'clock,  he  shall  request  the  whole  school  to  give 
their  attention  five  minutes,  Avhile  he  shall  bring 
something  there  to  which  he  shall  call  the  atten- 
tion, especially  of  the  little  boys  and  girls  under 
seven  years  of  age.  This  very  announcement  will 
excite  an  interest  both  in  school  and  at  home ; 
and  when  the  children  come  in  the  morning, 
they  will   be    more  wakeful   than   usual   till   the 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  119 

A  fixed  time.— Preparation.— Ear  of  com. 

fixed  time  arrives.  It  is  very  important  that  this 
time  should  be  fixed,  and  that  the  utmost  punct- 
uahty  should  be  observed,  both  as  to  the  begin- 
ning and  ending  of  the  exercise  at  the  precise 
time. 

The  teacher,  it  should  be  supposed,  has  not 
made  such  an  announcement  without  consider- 
ing what  he  can  do  when  the  time  arrives.  He 
should  have  a  well-digested  plan  of  operation, 
and  one  which  he  knows  beforehand  that  he  can 
successfully  execute. 

Let  us  suppose  that  in  preparing  for  this  ex- 
ercise he  looks  about  him  to  find  some  object 
which  he  can  make  his  text ;  and  that  he  finds 
upon  his  study-table  an  ear  of  corn.  He  thinks 
carefully  what  he  can  do  with  it,  and  then  with 
a  smile  of  satisfaction  he  puts  it  in  his  pocket 
for  the  "general  exercise." 

In  the  morning,  he  goes  through  the  accus- 
tomed duties  of  the  first  hour,  perhaps  more 
cheerfully  than  usual,  because  he  finds  there  is 
more  of  animation  and  wakefulness  in  the  school. 
At  the  precise  time,  he  gives  the  signal  agreed 
upon,  and  all  the  pupils  drop  their  studies  and 
sit  erect.  When  there  is  perfect  silence  and  strict 
attention  by  all,  he  takes  from  his  pocket  the  ear 
of  corn  and  in  silence  holds  it  up  before  the 
school.  The  children  smile,  for  it  is  a  familiar 
object ;  and  they  probably  did  not  suspect  they 
were  to  be  fed  with  corn. 

Teacher.     "Now,  children,"  addressing  himself 


120  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Teacher's  address  to  the  children. — Their  answers. 

to  the  youngest,  "I  am  going  to  ask  you  only 
one  question  to-day  about  this  ear  of  corn.  If 
you  can  answer  it  I  shall  be  very  glad ;  if  the 
little  boys  and  girls  upon  the  front  seat  can  not 
give  the  answer,  I  will  let  those  in  the  next  seat 
try ;  and  so  on  till  all  have  tried,  unless  our  time 
should  expire  before  the  right  answer  is  given. 
I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  none  of  you  give  the 
answer  I  am  thinking  of.  As  soon  as  I  ask  the 
question,  those  who  are  under  seven  years  old, 
and  think  they  can  give  en  answer,  may  raise 
their  hand.    What  is  this  ear  of  cork  for?" 

Several  of  the  children  raise  their  hands,  and 
the  teacher  points  to  one  after  another  in  order, 
and  they  rise  and  give  their  answers. 

Mary.    It  is  to  feed  the  geese  with. 

John.    Yes,  and  the  hens  too,  and  the  pigs. 

Sarah.    My  father  gives  corn  to  the  cows. 

By  this  time  the  hands  of  the  youngest  scholars 
are  all  down ;  for  having  been  taken  a  little  by 
surprise,  their  knowledge  is  exhausted.  So  the 
teacher  says  that  those  between  seven  and  ten 
years  of  age  may  raise  their  hands.  Several  in- 
stantly appear.  The  teacher  again  indicates,  by 
pointing,  those  who  may  give  the  answer. 

Charles.  My  father  gives  corn  to  the  horses 
when  the  oats  are  all  gone. 

Daniel.  We  give  it  to  the  oxen  and  cows,  and 
we  fat  the  hogs  upon  corn. 

Laura.  It  is  good  to  eat.  They  shell  it  from 
the   cobs   and   send   it  to  mill,  and   it  is  ground 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  121 

Closing  at  the  time.— Hear  no  more  till  to-morrow. 

into  meal.  They  make  bread  of  the  meal,  and 
we  eat  it. 

This  last  pupil  has  looked  a  little  further  into 
domestic  economy  than  those  who  answered  be- 
fore her.  But  by  this  time,  perhaps  before,  the 
five  minutes  have  been  nearly  expended,  and  yet 
several  hands  are  up,  and  the  faces  of  several 
are  beaming  with  eagerness  to  tell  their  thoughts. 
Let  the  teacher  then  say,  "  We  will  have  no  more 
answers  to-day.  You  may  think  of  this  matter 
till  to-morrow,  and  then  I  will  let  you  try  again. 
I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  none  of  you  have 
mentioned  the  use  I  was  thinking  of,  though  I 
confess  I  expected  it  every  minute.  I  shall  not 
be  surprised  if  no  one  of  you  give  this  answer 
to-morrow.  I  shall  now  put  the  ear  of  corn  in 
my  desk,  and  no  one  of  you  must  speak  to  me 
about  it  till  to-morrow.  You  may  now  take  your 
studies." 

The  children  now  breathe  more  freely,  while 
the  older  ones  take  their  studies,  and  the  next 
class  is  called.  In  order  to  success,  it  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  that  the  teacher  should  positively 
refuse  to  hold  any  conversation  with  the  children 
on  the  subject  till  the  next  time  for  "  general 
exercise  ". 

During  the  remainder  of  the  forenoon,  the 
teacher  will  very  likely  observe  some  signs  of 
thoughtfulness  on  the  part  of  those  little  children 
who  have  been  habitually  dull  before.  And  per- 
haps some  child,  eager  to  impart  a  new  discovery, 


122  RIGHT     MODES     OP     TEACHING. 

The  children  go  home.— They  ohserve.— They  inquire. 

will  seek  an  opportunity  to  make  it  known  during 
the  forenoon.  "Wait  till  to-morrow"  should  be 
the  teacher's  only  reply. 

Now  let  us  follow  these  children  as  they  are 
dismissed,  while  they  bend  their  steps  toward 
home.  They  cluster  together  in  groups  as  they 
go  down  the  hill,  and  they  seem  to  be  earnestly 
engaged  in  conversation. 

"I  don't  believe  it  has  any  other  use,"  says 
John. 

"  O,  yes,  it  has,"  says  Susan ;  "  our  teacher 
would  not  say  so  if  it  had  not.  Besides,  did  you 
not  see  what  a  knowing  look  he  had,  when  he 
drew  up  his  brow  and  said  he  guessed  we  couldn't 
find  it  out?" 

"Well,  I  mean  to  ask  my  mother,"  says  little 
Mary;  "I  guess  she  can  tell." 

By  and  by,  as  they  pass  a  field  of  corn,  Samuel 
sees  a  squirrel  running  across  the  street,  with 
both  his  cheeks  distended  with  ^'' plunder ''\ 

At  home,  too,  the  ear  of  corn  is  made  the 
subject  of  conversation.  "  What  is  an  ear  of  corn 
for,  mother?"  said  little  Mary,  as  soon  as  they 
have  taken  a  seat 'at  the  dinner-table. 

Mother.  An  ear  of  corn,  child  ?  why,  don't  you 
know?  It  is  to  feed  the  fowls,  and  the  pigs,  and 
the  cattle ;  and  we  make  bread  of  it,  too 

Mary.  Yes,  we  told  all  that,  but  the  teacher 
says  that  is  not  all. 

Mother.    The  teacher  ? 

Mary.    Yes,  ma'am,  the  teacher  had  an  ear  of 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  123 

Their  family  become  interested.— Second  day.— Anecdote. 

corn  at  school,  and  he  asked  us  what  it  was  for; 
and  after  we  had  told  him  every  thing  we  could 
think  of,  he  said  there  was  another  thing 
still.  Now,  I  want  to  find  out,  so  that  I  can  tell 
him. 

The  consequence  of  this  would  be  that  the 
family,  father,  mother,  and  older  brothers  and 
sisters,  would  resolve  themselves  into  a  committee 
of  the  whole  on  the  ear  of  corn.  The  same,  or 
something  like  this,  would  be  true  in  other  fami- 
lies in  the  district ;  and  by  the  next  morning, 
several  children  would  have  something  further  to 
communicate  on  the  subject.  The  hour  would 
this  day  be  awaited  with  great  interest,  and  the 
first  signal  would  produce  perfect  silence. 

The  teacher  now  takes  the  ear  of  corn  from 
the  desk  and  displays  it  before  the  school ;  and 
quite  a  number  of  hands  are  instantly  raised  as 
if  eager  to  be  the  first  to  tell  what  other  use  they 
have  discovered  for  it. 

The  teacher  now  says  pleasantly,  "The  use  I 
am  thinking  of,  you  have  all  observed,  I  have  no 
doubt ;  it  is  a  very  important  use  indeed ;  but  as 
it  is  a  little  out  of  the  common  course,  I  shall 
not  be  surprised  if  you  can  not  give  it.  However, 
you  may  try." 

"  It  is  good  to  boil !  "  *  says  little  Susan,  almost 
springing  from  the  floor  as  she  speaks. 

*  The  children  themselves  wiU  be  sure  to  find  some  new  answers  to 
such  questions  as  the  above.  In  giving  in  substance  tliis  lecture  to 
a  gathering  of  teachers  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  in  one  of  the  busy  vil- 
lages of  New  York,  where  also  the  pupils  of  one  of  the  district  schools 


124  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Older  pupils  interested.— The  secret  revealed. 

"And  it  is  for  squirrels  to  eat,"  says  little 
Samuel.  "  I  saw  one  carry  away  a  whole  mouth- 
ful yesterday  from  the  corn-field." 

Others  still  mention  other  uses,  which  they 
liave  observed.  They  mention  other  animals 
which  feed  upon  it,  or  other  modes  of  cooking  it. 
The  older  pupils  begin  to  be  interested,  and  they 
add  to  the  list  of  uses  named.  Perhaps,  however, 
none  will  name  the  one  the  teacher  has  in  his 
own  mind;  he  should  cordially  welcome  the 
answer  if  perchance  it  is  given ;  if  none  should 
give  it,  he  may  do  as  he  thinks  best  about  giving 
it  himself  on  this  occasion.  Perhaps,  if  there 
is  time  he  may  do  so, — after  the  following 
manner. 

"I  have  told  you  that  the  answer  I  was  seek- 
ing was  a  very  simple  one ;  it  is  something  you 
have  all  observed,  and  you  may  be  a  little  disap- 
pointed when  I  tell  you.  The  use  I  have  been 
thinking  of  for  the  ear  of  corn  is  this : — It  is  to 
plant.  It  is  fo7'  seed,  to  propagate  that  species  of 
plant  called  corn."    Here   the   children  may  look 

were  present  by  invitation,  I  had  described  a  process  similar  to  that 
which  has  been  dwelt  upon  above.  I  had  given  the  supposed  answers  for 
the  first  day,  and  had  described  the  children  as  pressing  the  question  at 
home.  Wlien  I  had  proceeded  as  far  as  to  take  up  the  ear  of  corn  the 
second  day,  and  had  spoken  of  the  possibility  that  the  triie  answer  to  the 
question  might  not  be  given,  I  tiirned  almost  instinctively  to  the  class 
of  children  a+  my  right,  saying,  "  Nmo  ivhat  is  the  ea?-  of  corn  for  /  "  A  little 
boy,  some  six  years  of  age,  who  had  swallowed  every  word,  and  whose 
face  glowed  as  if  there  was  not  room  enough  for  his  soul  within  him, 
bounded  upon  his  feet,  and  forgetting  the  publicity  of  the  place  and  the 
gravity  of  the  chairman  of  the  meeting,  clapping  his  hands  forcibly  to- 
gether, "■  Ifs  to  pop/"  he  exclaimed  emphatically,  very  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  audience.     His  mind  had  been  waked  up. 


EIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  125 

A  new  question. — Another. 

disappointed,  as   mnch  as  to  say,  "we  knew  that 
before." 

The  teacher  continues:  "And  this  is  a  very 
important  use  for  the  corn ;  for  if  for  one  year 
none  should  be  planted,  and  all  the  ears  that 
grew  the  year  before  should  be  consumed,  we 
should  have  no  more  corn.  This,  then,  was  the 
great  primary  design  of  the  corn ;  the  other  uses 
you  have  named  were  merely  secondarj^  But  I 
mean  to  make  something  more  of  my  ear  of 
corn.    My  next    question   is : — Do    other    plants 

HAVE    SEEDS?"* 

Here  is  a  new  field  of  inquiry.  Many  hands 
are  instantly  raised ;  but  as  the  five  minutes  by 
this  time  have  passed,  leave  them  to  answer  at 
the  next  time. 

"  Have  other  plants  seeds  ?  "  the  children  be- 
gin to  inquire  in  their  own  minds,  and  each  be- 
gins to  think  over  a  list  of  such  plants  as  he  is 
familiar  with.  When  they  are  dismissed,  they  look 
on  the  way  home  at  the  plants  by  the  roadside, 
and  when  they  reach  home  they  run  to  the  gar- 
den. At  the  table  they  inquire  of  their  parents, 
or  their  brothers  and  sisters. 

At  the  next  exercise,  they  will  have  more  than 
they  can  tell  in  five  minutes,  as  the  results 
of  their  own  observation  and  research.  When 
enough  has  been  said  by  the  children  as  to  the 
plants  which  have  seeds,  the  next  question  may 
be  : — Do  all  plants  have  seeds  ?    This  question 

♦  Hant  is  here  vised  in  the  popular  sense. 


126  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Th.e  recipient  has  gained  capacity.— The  elm. 


will  lead  to  much  inquiry  at  home  wherever  bot- 
any is  not  well  understood.  There  are  many  who 
are  not  aware  that  all  plants  have  seeds.  Very 
likely  the  ferns  (common  brakes)  will  be  noticed 
by  the  children  themselves.  They  may  also  name 
several  other  plants  which  do  not  exhibit  their 
apparatus  for  seed-bearing  very  conspicuously. 
This  will  prepare  the  way  for  the  teacher  to  im- 
part a  little  information.  Nor  is  there  any  harm 
in  his  doing  so,  whenever  he  is  satisfied  that  the 
mind  has  been  suitably  exercised.  The  mind  is 
no  longer  a  "passive  recipient";  and  he  may  be 
sure  that  by  inquiry  it  has  increased  its  capacity 
to  contain,  and  any  fact  which  now  answers  in- 
quiry, will  be  most  carefully  stored  up. 

The  next  question  may  be : — Do  trees  have 
SEEDS?  As  the  children  next  go  out,  their  eyes 
are  directed  to  the  trees  above  them.  The 
fruit-trees,  the  walnut,  the  oak,  and  perhaps  the 
pine,  will  be  selected  as  those  which  have  seeds. 
They  will,  however,  mention  quite  a  number 
which  do  not,  or  which,  they  think,  do  not  have 
seeds.  Among  these  may  be  the  elm,  the  birch, 
and  the  Lombardy  poplar.  After  hearing  their 
opinions,  and  the  results  of  their  observations, 
take  one  of  their  exceptions  as  the  subject  of  the 
next  question  : — Does  the  Elm  have  seeds  ?  *  This 
will   narrow   their   inquiries   down   to    a    specific 

*  It  is  a  very  common  opinion  in  the  country  that  the  elm  has  no 
seeds.  I  once  knew  a  man  who  grew  gray  under  the  shade  of  a  large 
elm,  and  who  insisted  that  it  never  bore  any  seeds. 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  127 


A  pi'OTTiiae.— A  caution.— Example  of  teaching. 

case,  and  every  elm  in  the  district  will  be  in- 
quired of  as  to  its  testimony  on  this  point. 

If  the  children  can  any  of  them  collect  and 
give  the  truth  in  the  matter,  so  much  the  better  •, 
but  if  they,  after  inquiring  of  their  parents  and 
their  grandparents,  as  I  have  known  a  whole 
school  to  do,  come  back  insisting  that  the  elm 
has  no  seeds  ;  after  hearing  their  reasons  for  their 
belief,  and  perhaps  the  opinions  of  their  parents, 
you  may  promise  to  tell  them  something  about  it 
at  the  next  exercise.  This  will  again  awaken  ex- 
pectation, not  only  among  the  children,  but  among 
the  parents.  All  will  wish  to  know  what  you 
have  to  bring  out. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  throw  any 
disparagement  upon  the  opinions  of  parents.  Per- 
haps, after  giving  the  signal  for  attention,  you 
may  proceed  as  follows : — 

"  Has  the  elm-tree  any  seeds  ?  Perhaps,  chil- 
dren, you  may  recollect  after  the  cold  winter  has 
passed  away,  that,  along  in  the  latter  part  of 
March,  or  the  first  of  April,  we  sometimes  have 
a  warm,  sunny  day.  The  birds,  perhaps,  appear 
and  begin  to  sing  a  little,  and  as  you  look  up  to 
the  elm,  you  notice  that  its  buds  seem  to  swell, 
and  you  think  it  is  going  to  put  out  its  leaves. 
Everybody  says  we  are  going  to  have  an  early 
spring.  But  after  this  the  cold  frosty  nights  and 
windy  days  come  on  again,  and  then  you  think 
the  leaves  can  not  come  out  so  early.  Now,  if 
you  observe  carefully,  the  leaves  do  not  come  out 


128  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Elm-dust.— A  new  question. 

till  about  the  20th  of  May,  or  perhaps  the  first 
of  June.  Did  you  ever  see  any  thing  like  what 
I  have  described?" 

"Yes,  sir,  we  remember  that." 

"Well,  the  next  time  you  see  the  buds  begin 
to  open,  just  break  off  a  twig  of  a  good  large 
tree,  and  you  will  find  they  are  not  the  leaf- 
huds.  But  if  you  will  watch  them  carefully  for 
two  or  three  weeks,  you  will  find  that  each  bud 
will  put  out  some  beautiful  little  flowers,  brightly 
colored,  and  slightly  fragrant.  If  you  will  still 
continue  to  watch  them,  you  will  find,  as  the 
flowers  fall  off,  that  seed  vessels  are  formed, 
shaped  very  much  like  the  parsnip  seed.  These 
will  grow  larger  and  larger  every  day,  and  by 
and  by  they  will  turn  brown  and  look  as  if  they 
were  ripe.  Just  about  this  time  the  leaves  will 
come  out ;  and  soon  after  these  seeds,  during 
some  windy  day  or  night,  will  all  fall  off.  The 
ground  will  be  covered  with  thousands  of  them. 
Perhaps  you  have  seen  this." 

"Yes,  sir,"  says  John,  "Grandpa  calls  that 
elm-dusty 

"Perhaps  next  year  you  can  watch  this  and 
ask  your  parents  to  examine  it  with  you.  But 
the  flve  minutes  are  ended." 

Now,  information  thus  communicated  will 
never  be  forgotten.  The  mind,  having  been  put 
upon  the  stretch,  is  no  longer  a  passive  recip- 
ient. 

The   next  question : — How  are   seeds  dissemi- 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  129 

Another  question.— Resvilts.—StiU  another. 

NATED? — (of  course  explaining  the  term  "dissem- 
inated ".) 

This  will  bring  in  a  fund  of  information  from 
the  pupils.  They  will  mention  that  the  thistle 
seed  flies,  and  so  does  the  seed  of  the  milkweed ; 
that  the  burs  of  the  burdock,  and  some  other 
seeds  are  provided  with  hooks,  by  which  they 
attach  themselves  to  the  hair  of  animals  or  the 
clothing  of  men,  and  ride' away  to  their  resting- 
place,  which  may  be  a  hundred  miles  off.  Some 
fall  into  the  water  and  sail  away  to  another 
shore.  Some,  like  the  seed  of  the  Touch-me-not, 
are  thrown  at  a  distance  by  the  bursting  of  the 
elastic  pericarp  ;  others,  as  nuts  and  acorns,  are 
carried  by  squirrels  and  buried  beneath  the 
leaves.  These  facts  would  mostly  be  noticed  by 
children,  when  once  put  upon  observation. 

Next  question  : — Are  plants  propagated  in  any 
other  way  than  ty  seeds  f 

This  question  would  call  their  attention  to  the 
various  means  of  natural  and  artificial  propaga- 
tion— by  layers,  by  offsets,  by  suckers,  by  graft- 
ing, by  inoculation  or  budding,  etc.,  etc. 

Again  : — Have  any  plants  more  ways  than  one 
of  natural  propagation  f  Some  have  one  way 
only, — by  seeds,  as  the  annual  plants ;  some  have 
two, — ^by  seeds  and  by  roots,  as  the  potato ;  some 
have  three, — as  the  tiger  lily,  by  side-bulbs  from 
the  roots,  by  stalk-bulbs,  and  by  the  seeds.  This 
can  be  extended  indefinitely. 


130  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Remarks.— Effects  upon  children.— Advantages  of  observation. 

SECTION   v.— EEMARKS. 

Let  it  be  remembered,  that  the  above  has  been 
given  simply  as  a  specimen  of  what  could  easily 
be  done  by  an  ingenious  teacher,  with  as  com- 
mon a  thing  as  an  ear  of  corn  for  the  text.  Any 
other  thing  would  answer  as  well.  A  chip,  a 
tooth  or  a  bone  of  an  animal,  a  piece  of  iron,  a 
feather,  or  any  other  object,  could  be  made  the 
text  for  adroitly  bringing  in  the  uses  of  tvood, 
the  food  and  habits  of  animals,  the  use  and  com- 
parative value  of  metals,  the  covering  of  birds, 
their  migration,  the  covering  of  animals,  etc.,  etc. 
Let  the  teacher  but  think  what  department  he 
will  dwell  upon,  and  then  he  can  easily  select  his 
text;  and  if  he  has  any  tact,  he  can  keep  the 
children  constantly  upon  inquiry  and  observation. 

The  advantages  of  the  above  course  over  sim- 
ply lecturing  to  them  on  certain  subjects,  that  is, 
over  the  pouring-in  process,  are  many  and  great. 
Some  of  the  most  obvious  I  will  briefly  state. 

1.  It  immediatety  puts  the  minds  of  the  chil- 
dren into  a  state  of  vigorous  activity.  They  feel 
that  they  are  no  longer  passive  recipients.  They 
are  incited  to  discover  and  ascertain  for  them- 
selves. They  are,  therefore,  profitably  employed 
both  in  and  out  of  school,  and  as  a  consequence 
are  more  easily  governed.  A  habit  of  observa- 
tion is  cultivated  in  them ;  and  what  an  advan- 
tage is  this  for  a  child  !  It  is  almost  unnecessary 
to    remark    that    many    people  .  go    through    the 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  131 

Children  shoiild  be  taught  to  think.— Parents  benefitted. 


world  without  seeing  half  the  objects  which  are 
brought  within  their  reach.  It  would  be  the 
same  to  them  if  their  eyes  were  half  the  time 
closed.  K  they  travel  through  a  country  pre- 
senting the  most  beautiful  scenery  or  the  most 
interesting  geological  features,  they  see  nothing. 
They  grow  up  among  all  the  wonders  of  God's 
works,  amid  all  the  displays  of  his  wisdom,  of  his 
design,  to  no  purpose.  They  study  none  of  the 
plans  of  nature ;  and  by  all  the  millions  of  ar- 
rangements which  God  has  made,  to  delight  the 
eye,  to  gratify  the  taste,  to  excite  the  emotions 
of  pleasure  instead  of  pain,  they  are  neither  the 
happier  nor  the  wiser.  What  a  blessing,  then,  it 
is  to  a  child,  to  put  his  mind  upon  inquiry ;  to 
open  his  eyes  to  observe  what  his  Creator  in- 
tended his  intelligent  creatures  should  behold,  of 
his  goodness,  his  wisdom,  his  power.  And  how  far 
superior  is  he  who  teaches  a  child  to  see  for  him- 
self and  to  think  for  himself,  to  him  who  sees 
and  thinks  for  the  child,  and  thus  practically  in- 
vites the  pupil  to  close  his  own  eyes  and  grope 
in  darkness  through  the  instructive  journey  of 
life. 

2.  It  is  of  great  service  to  the  parents  in  the 
district  to  have  this  ivaking-up  process  in  opera- 
tion. Our  children  are  sometimes  our  best  teach- 
ers. Parents  are  apt  to  grow  rusty  in  their  ac- 
quirements, and  it  is  no  doubt  one  of  the  designs 
of  providence  that  the  inquisitiveness  of  child- 
hood   should    preserve   them    from    sinking    into 


132  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Take  an  interest  in  the  school. — Teacher  is  improved. 

mental  inactivity.  Who  can  liear  the  inquiries  of 
his  own  child  after  knowledge,  without  a  desire 
to  supply  his  wants.  Now  it  is  right  for  the 
teacher  to  use  this  instrumentality  to  wake  up 
mind  in  his  district.  Parents,  by  the  course  I 
have  recommended,  very  soon  become  interested 
in  these  daily  questions  of  the  teacher ;  and  they 
are  often  as  eager  to  know  what  is  the  next 
question  as  the  children  are  to  report  it.  This 
course,  then,  will  supply  profitable  topics  of  con- 
versation at  the  fireside,  and  very  likely  will  en- 
courage also  the  pursuit  of  useful  reading.  It 
will,  moreover,  soon  awaken  a  deeper  interest  in 
the  school  on  the  part  of  the  parents.  They  will 
begin  to  inquire  of  one  another  as  to  this  new 
measure ;  and  when  they  find  by  conference  that 
the  feeling  in  this  matter  is  becoming  general, 
they  will  desire  to  visit  the  school  to  witness  this 
as  well  as  the  other  operations  of  the  teacher. 
This  will  secure  parental  co-operation,  and  thus 
in  every  way  the  influence  of  the  school  will  be 
heightened.  It  is  no  small  thing  for  a  teacher  to 
enlist  the  interest  of  his  patrons  in  the  success 
of  his  school ;  and  this  is  the  most  happily  done, 
when  it  is  achieved  through  the  medium  of  the 
pupils  themselves. 

3.  It  wakes  up  the  teacher's  own  mind.  This 
is  by  no  means  the  least  important  point  to  be 
gained.  The  teacher,  by  the  very  nature  of  his 
employment,  by  daily  confinement  in  an  un- 
healthy  atmosphere,  by  teaching  over   and   over 


EIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING.  133 

The  teaclier's  temptations.— He  must  improve  his  own  mind. 

again  that  with  which  he  is  quite  famiUar,  by 
boarding  with  people  who  are  inchned  to  be  so- 
cial, and  by  the  fatigue  and  languor  with  which 
he  finds  himself  oppressed  every  night,  is  strongly 
tempted  to  neglect  his  own  improvement.  There 
are  but  few  who  rise  above  this  accumulation  of 
impediments  and  go  on  in  spite  of  them  to  emi- 
nence in  the  profession.  A  large  proportion  of 
all  who  teach  rely  upon  the  attainments  with 
which  they  commence ;  and  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  years,  finding  themselves  behind  the  age, 
they  abanaon  the  employment.  This  is  very  nat- 
ural. Any  man  who  treads  in  a  beaten  track, 
like  a  horse  in  a  mill,  must  become  weary,  how- 
ever valuable  the  product  may  be  which  he 
grinds  out.  It  is  essential  that  he  should  keep 
his  own  interest  awake  by  some  exercise  of  his 
ingenuity,  and  that  he  should  compel  himself  to 
be  industrious  by  undertaking  that  Avhich  will 
absolutely  demand  study.  The  above  process  will 
do  this ;  and  while  he  may  have  the  exquisite 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  growth  of  his  pupils'  minds, 
he  may  also  have  the  higher  satisfaction  of  feel- 
ing the  growth  of  his  own. 

I  must  here  add,  that  it  has  not  been  my  in- 
tention, in  what  I  have  said,  to  inculcate  the  idea 
that  the  study  of  books  should  in  the  least  de- 
gree be  abated  to  make  room  for  this  process  of 
waking  up  mind.  The  various  branches  are  to 
be  pursued,   and  as  diligently  pursued,   as    ever 


134  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

Books  not  to  be  neglected.— Given  only  as  a  specimen. 

before.  The  time  to  be  set  apart  for  this  exercise 
should  be  short, — never  probably  to  exceed  five 
minutes.  It  is  to  come  in  when  the  scholars  need 
rest  for  a  moment,  and  when,  if  not  employed 
about  this,  they  would  probably  be  doing  nothing, 
or,  perhaps,  worse  than  nothing.  It  should  be 
managed  with  care  and  should  never  be  made  a 
hobby  by  teachers,  as  if  it  were  of  more  impor- 
tance than  any  thing  else.  One  secret  of  success 
in  this — as,  indeed,  in  every  thing — is,  that  it 
should  not  be  continued  too  long  at  once.  The 
pupils  should  be  left  "  longing — not  loathing  ". 

Let  me  again  remind  the  reader  that  I  have 
given  the  above  as  a  specimen.  The  choice  of 
the  ear  of  corn  was  merely  accidental ;  it  hap- 
pened to  lie  on  my  table  when  I  wanted  a  text. 
The  teacher  should  look  upon  this  simply  as  a 
specimen,  and  then  choose  his  own  subjects.  The 
main  point  aimed  at  is  this : — Never  ask  leading 
questions,  which  your  scholars  can  hardly  fail  to 
answer ;  and  never  lecture  to  your  pupils  till  you 
have  somehow  first  kindled  in  them  a  living  de- 
sire to  know ;  that  is,  avoid  alike  the  *'  drawing- 
out  "  and  the  "  pouring-in  "  process.  Rather  let  it 
be  your  object  to  excite  inquiry  by  a  question 
they  can  not  answer  without  thought  and  obser- 
vation,— and  such  a  question  as  they  would  deem 
it  disgraceful  not  to  be  able  to  answer.  This, 
adroitly  done,  is  ^^ waking  up  mind". 

Within  the  last  few  years,  a  great  extension 
has    been    given    to    oral    instruction,    as    distin- 


RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHIXG,  135 


Oral  instruction,  its  use  and  abuse. 


guished  from  text-book  instruction ;  and  this  re- 
action has  now  gone  to  such  an  extreme  that 
there  is  a  marked  tendency  to  regard  the  use  of 
books  as  an  evidence  of  a  poor  quahty  of  teach- 
ing. It  has  been  assumed  that  the  ideal  teaching 
is  that  which  causes  tlie  pupil  to  discover,  or  at 
least  to  rediscover,  every  thing  for  himself.  It 
seems  to  be  forgotten  by  some  that  there  is 
knowledge,  the  reproduction  of  which,  without 
the  aid  of  books,  is  even  inconceivable ;  and  that 
there  is  other  knowledge,  the  reproduction  of 
which,  without  the  aid  of  books,  though  conceiv- 
able, is  practically  impossible  ;  and  that  in  all 
cases,  capitalized  knowledge  is  accessible  only 
through  books.  "  Language,"  says  J.  S.  Mill,  "  is 
the  depository  of  the  accumulated  body  of  expe- 
rience to  which  all  former  ages  have  contributed 
their  part,  and  which  is  the  inheritance  of  all  yet 
to  come."  {Logic,  p.  413.)  The  misuse  of  books 
should  not  be  taken  as  an  argument  for  their 
disuse.  An  intelligent  instructor  will  not  allow  a 
pupil  to  confound  w^ords  with  ideas,  but  will 
teach  the  art  of  interpreting  language.  "  Words," 
says  Hobbes,  "  are  wise  men's  counters ;  they  do 
but  reckon  by  them :  but  they  are  the  money  of 
fools."     {Leviathan,  Chap.  IV.) 

The  assumption,  sometimes  made,  that  in- 
struction by  word  of  mouth  is  necessarily  bet- 
ter than  the  same  instruction  given  in  the  written 
form,  is  thus  disposed  of  by  Mr.  Bain :  "  The  sug- 
gestion  is  oft«n   made  and  is  probably  act-ed  on 


136  RIGHT     MODES     OF     TEACHING. 

The  preparation  of  an  improved  book. 

by  some  teachers,  to  teach  grammar  without 
books,  on  the  assumption  that  the  difficulties  are 
not  inherent  in  the  subject,  but  come  into  being 
when  it  is  reduced  to  form  and  put  into  the  pu- 
pil's hand  in  print.  There  must  be  some  fallacy 
here.  What  is  printed  is  only  what  is  proper  to 
to  be  said  by  word  of  mouth  ;  and  if  the  teacher 
can  express  himself  more  clearly  than  the  best 
existing  book,  his  words  should  be  written  down 
and  take  the  place  of  the  book.  No  matter  what 
may  be  the  peculiar  felicity  of  the  teacher's 
method,  it  may  be  given  in  print,  to  be  imitated 
by  others,  and  so  introduce  a  better  class  of 
books ;  the  reform  that  proposes  to  do  away  with 
books  entirely,  thus  ending  in  the  preparation  of 
another  book." 


CHAPTER    YIII. 

CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

IN  considering  a  teacher's  qualifications,  the 
power  of  exciting  an  interest  in  the  recita- 
tions of  his  school  may  not  be  overlooked.  No 
man  can  be  successful  for  any  length  of  time 
without  this.  This  comprises  what  is  usually  im- 
plied by  APTNESS  TO  TEACH.  All  men  have  not 
this  faculty  by  nature  in  an  equal  degree.  Some 
may  talk  for  an  hour  upon  an  interesting  topic 
in  the  presence  of  children  without  commanding 
their  attention  ;  while  there  are  others  who  can 
take  even  a  commonplace  subject  and  secure  for 
any  length  of  time  an  all-absorbing  interest  in 
every  word.  This  difference  is  seen  in  every 
grade  of  public  speakers  and  in  all  descriptions 
of  writers;  but  perhaps  more  strikingly  than 
anywhere  else,  it  is  observable  among  teachers. 
Enter  one  school,  and  you  may  notice  that  the 
scholars  are  dull  and  listless ;  indifference  sits 
undisturbed  upon  their  brows ;  or  perhaps  they 
are  driven  by  the  activity  of  their  own  natures 
to  some  expedient  to  interest  themselves,  while 
the  teacher  is,  with  very  commendal)le  spirit, 
laboriously — perhaps  learnedly — explaining  some 
principle   or   fact   designed   for   their   edification. 


138  CONDUCTING     KECITATIONS. 

A  contrast.— Not  always  a  natural  gift. 

The  secret  is,  he  has  not  yet  learned  to  awaken 
then'  attention ;  he  fails  to  excite  their  interest. 

Pass  to  another  school.  A  breathless  silence 
pervades  the  room ;  the  countenances  of  the  chil- 
dren, upturned  toward  the  teacher,  beam  with 
delight.  As  he  kindles  into  earnestness  and  elo- 
quence, they  kindle  into  responsive  enthusiasm. 
Whenever  his  eye  meets  theirs,  he  sees — he  feels 
the  glow  radiated  by  the  fire  he  is  lighting  in 
their  souls,  and  his  own  gathers  new  warmth 
and  enthusiasm  in  return.  Such  a  man  is  apt  to 
teach;  and  you  could  scarcely  break  the  spell  by 
which  he  holds  his  class,  "  though  you  should  give 
them  for  playthings,  shining  fragments  broken 
from  off  the  sun  ". 

He  who  possesses  this  gift  naturally,  has  very 
great  advantage  as  a  teacher  to  begin  with.  The 
ability  to  tell  well  what  he  knows,  is  of  more  con- 
sequence to  the  teacher,  than  the  greatest  attain- 
ments without  the  power  to  communicate  them. 
Combine  high  attainments  with  the  ability  to  tell, 
and  you  have  the  accomplished  teacher. 

But  this  power  to  communicate  is  not  neces- 
sarily a  natural  gift;  it  comes  not  always  by 
intuition.  It  can  be  acquired.  It  is  founded  in 
philosophy ;  and  he  who  can  understand  any 
thing  of  the  workings  of  his  own  mind,  who  can 
revert  to  the  mental  processes  he  went  through 
in  order  to  comprehend  a  principle,  who  can  go 
back  to  that  state  of  mind  he  was  in  before  he 
comprehended  it,  and  then,  by  one  step  more,  can 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  139 

How  acquired.— Natural  order. 

put  himself  in  the  place  of  the  child  he  is  teach- 
ing, realizing  exactly  his  perplexities  and  feeling 
his  precise  wants,  can  become  the  apt  teacher. 
Those  who  fail  in  this  are  usually  those  who 
have  forgotten  the  steps  they  took  to  acquire 
their  own  knowledge,  or  perhaps  who  never  no- 
ticed what  steps  they  did  take. 

To  acquire  this  rare  qualification  should  be 
the  constant  study  of  the  teacher.  To  this  end 
he  should  recall,  as  far  as  possible,  the  operations 
of  his  own  mind  in  childhood.  By  studying  his 
own  mind,  he  learns,  often  most  effectually,  what 
he  needs  to  know  of  others.  Whenever  he  is  pre- 
paring to  teach  any  principle  or  fact  to  others,  let 
him  ask  himself  questions  like  the  following : — 
What  was  the  dark  point  in  this,  when  I  studied 
it  ?  Where  did  my  mind  labor  most  ?  What  point 
did  my  teacher  fail  to  explain?  Such  questions 
will  frequently  suggest  the  very  difficulty  which 
perplexes  every  mind  in  the  same  process.  Again, 
the  following  inquiries  may  be  very  useful : — In 
studying  this,  what  was  the  first  point  which 
appeared  clear  to  me?  After  this,  what  was  the 
second  step,  and  lioiv  did  that  follow  the  first? 
The  next  in  order?  And  the  next?  Was  this 
the  natural  order  ?  If  not,  what  is  the  natural 
order  ?  The  right  answers  to  these  questions  will 
suggest  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  instruc- 
tion of  a  class. 

The  teacher  can  scarcely  ask  a  more  impor- 
tant  question   than   this: — What   is  the  natural 


140  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

Science  of  teaching.— Thorough  knowledge. 

order  of  presenting  a  given  subject  ?  The  ability 
to  determine  this,  is  what  constitutes  in  a  great 
degree  the  science  of  teaching.  This  inquiry 
should  occupy  much  thought,  because  a  mistake 
here  is  disastrous,  and  ever  Avill  be  as  long  as 
divine  wisdom  is  superior  to  human.  He  who 
can  ascertain  the  order  of  nature,  will  be  most 
sure  of  exciting  an  interest  in  the  subject  he  is 
endeavoring  to  teach. 

Some  further  suggestions  as  to  conducting 
school  recitations  are  contained  in  the  following 
paragraphs. 

1.  The  teacher  should  thoroughly  understand 
what  he  attempts  to  teach.  It  is  destructive  of  all 
life  in  the  exercise,  if  the  teacher  is  constantly 
chained  down  to  the  text-book.  I  have  no  objec- 
tion, indeed,  that  he  should  take  his  text-book 
with  him  to  the  class,  and  that  he  should  occa- 
sionally refer  to  it  to  refresh  his  own  memory  or 
to  settle  a  doubt.  But  who  does  not  know  that 
a  teacher  who  is  perfectly  familiar  with  what  is 
to  be  taught,  has  ten  times  the  vivacity  of  one 
who  is  obliged  to  follow  the  very  letter  of  the 
book?  His  own  enthusiasm  glows  in  his  coun- 
tenance, sparkles  in  his  eye,  and  leaps  from  his 
tongue.  He  watches  the  halting  of  the  pupil, 
perceives  his  difficulty,  devises  his  expedient  for 
illustrating  the  dark  point  in  some  new  way,  and, 
at  the  proper  moment,  renders  just  the  amount 
of  assistance  which  the  pupil  needs.  Not  con- 
fined to  the  text,  he  has  the  use  of  his  eyes ;  and 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  141 

Printed  questions  —Special  preparation. 

when  he  speaks  or  explains,  he  can  accompany 
his  remark  with  a  quickening  look  of  intelligence. 
In  this  way  his  class  is  enlivened.  They  respect 
him  for  his  ready  attainment,  and  they  are  fired 
with  a  desire  to  be  his  equal. 

How  different  is  it  with  a  teacher  who  knows 
nothing  of  the  subject  but  what  is  contained  in 
the  text  before  him,  and  who  knows  that  only 
as  he  reads  it  during  the  intervals  occasioned  by 
the  hesitations  of  the  class.  Every  question  he 
proposes  is  printed  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  ; 
and  as  soon  as  he  reads  the  question,  without  a 
glance  at  the  pupil,  his  eye  sets  out  on  a  chase 
after  the  answer  in  the  text.  If  the  scholar  has 
not  already  been  stupefied  by  such  teaching,  and 
happens  to  give  an  intelligent  answer,  yet  not  in 
the  precise  language  of  the  book,  he  is  set  right 
by  the  teacher's  reading  the  very  words, — just  so 
much  detached  from  the  sentence,  as  he  fancies 
was  intended  to  answer  that  one  question  !  In 
this  way  he  discourages  thought  in  his  pupils, 
and  sets  a  bounty  on  mechanical  study.  In  this 
way,  too,  he  congeals  whatever  of  interest  they 
bring  with  them  to  the  recitation,  and  they  sink 
into  indifference, — or,  following  the  instincts  of 
their  nature,  they  seek  occupation  in  play  or  mis- 
chief, even  under  the  sound  of  his  voice ! 

2.  The  teacher  should  specially  prepare  him- 
self for  each  lesson  he  assigns.  This  is  naturally 
suggested  by  what  has  just  been  said.  The 
teacher's  memory  needs  to  be  refreshed.    We  all 


14:2  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

The  tables  turned. — Commoiiplace-'book.— Its  use. 

know  how  difficult  it  would  be  to  recite  a  lesson^ 
in  geometry  for  instance,  weeks  after  studying  it 
It  is  so  in  other  things.  Now,  the  teacher  should 
be  so  familiar  with  the  lesson  which  he  proposes 
to  hear  recited,  that  he  could  recite  it  himself  as 
perfectly  as  he  would  desire  his  scholars  to  do  it. 
This  is  seldom  the  case.  I  have  heard  a  teacher, 
with  the  text-book  in  his  hands,  coinplain  of  the 
dullness  or  inaccuracy  of  his  classes,  when,  if  the 
tables  had  been  turned,  and  the  pupils  allowed 
to  ask  the  questions,  the  teacher  would  scarcely 
have  recited  as  well.  And  I  may  add,  this  is  no 
very  uncoinmon  thing !  If  any  one  is  startled  at 
this  assertion,  let  him  request  a  friend,  in  whom 
he  can  confide,  to  ask  him  the  questions  of  a 
particular  lesson  in  geography,  or  history,  or 
grammar.  The  teacher  should  daily  study  his 
class  lessons.  This  will  enable  him  the  better 
to  assign  his  lessons  judiciously.  In  this  daily 
study,  he  should  'master  the  text-book  upon  the 
subject ;  and,  more  than  this,  he  should  consider* 
what  collateral  matter  he  can  bring  in  to  illus- 
trate the  lesson.  He  should  draw  upon  the  re- 
sources of  his  own  mind, — upon  the  treasures  of 
his    commonplace -hook, '^ — upon    the    contents    of 

*  It  is  an  excellent  plan  for  every  teacher  to  keep  a  commonplace 
book  of  considerable  size,  different  portions  of  it  being  set  apart  for  the 
different  subjects  upon  which  he  is  to  give  instruction.  On  the  first 
twenty  pages,  "  Geography "  may  be  the  head,—th.e  next  twenty  pages 
maybe  set  apart  for  "  History,"— twenty  more  maybe  assigned  to  "Read- 
ing,"—and  a  like  number  to  "Arithmetic,"  "Grammar,"  "Spelling," 
"  Writing,"  etc.,  reserving  quite  a  space  for  "  Miscellaneous  Matter." 
This  would  make  a  large  book ;  but  when  it  is  remembered  that  it  is  to 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  143 

Improvement  in  teaching  jwwer.— Use  of  the  eye. 

some  encyclopedia,  —  upon  any  source,  from 
whence  he  can  obtain  a  supply  of  knowledge  for 
his  purpose.  This  will  improve  his  own  mind, 
and  he  will  be  encouraged,  as  from  time  to  time 
he  teaches  the  same  branch,  to  find  that  he  is 
able  to  do  better  than  ever  before,  and  that,  in- 
stead of  becoming  weary  with  repetition,  he  is 
more  and  more  enthusiastic  over  the  subject. 

Going  thus  to  his  class — so  full  of  the  subject, 
that  were  the  text-book  annihilated,  he  could 
make  another  and  better  one — he  will  have  no 
difficulty  to  secure  attention.  As  he  speaks,  his 
eye  accompanies  his  word,  and  as  his  pupils  an- 
swer, he  sees  the  expression  of  their  countenances ; 
and  what  a  world  of  meaning  there  is  in  this  ex- 
pression !  It  betrays,  better  than  words  can  do, 
the  clearness  or  obscurity  of  the  mind's  percep- 
tion, when  a  truth  is  presented.  How  different 
the  beaming  of  the  eye  when  the  soul  appre- 
hends, from  that  almost  idiotic  stare  at  vacuity 
when  words  are  used  without  import.  And  how 
necessary  it  is  that  the  teacher  should  be  free  to 
observe  the  inward  workings  of  the  soul  as  indi- 
cated upon  the  countenance. 

be  vised  for  several  years,  it  is  well  to  have  it  large  enough  to  contain  a 
large  amount  of  matter.  Now,  whenever  the  teacher  hears  a  lecture  oa 
a  peculiar  method  of  teaching  either  of  these  branches,  let  him  note  the 
prominent  parts  of  it  under  the  proper  head,  and  especially  the  tllustrations. 
When  he  reads  or  hears  an  anecdote  illustrating  Geography,  History,  or 
Grammar,  let  it  be  copied  under  the  proper  head.  If  it  illustrates  Ge- 
ography, let  the  naine  of  the  place  stand  at  its  head.  When  he  visits  a 
school,  and  listens  to  a  new  explanation  or  a  new  process,  let  him  note  it 
under  its  head.  In  this  way  he  may  collect  a  thousand  valuable  tilings 
to  be  vised  with  judgment  in  his  school. 


144  CONDUCTIJSG     RECITATIONS. 


Correct  language. — "  Siiins." — "  Question." — ^Anecdote. 

3.  The  teacher  should  he  able  to  use  our  lar^ 
guage  fluently  and  correctly.  In  this  many  are 
deficient.  They  hesitate  and  stammer,  and  after 
all,  express  their  ideas  in  vague  terms,  and  per- 
aaps  by  the  nse  of  inaccurate  or  inelegant  lan- 
guage. A  teacher  in  no  way  gives  so  effectual 
instruction  in  grammar  as  by  his  own  use  of  our 
language ;  and  there  can  be  no  sight  more  morti- 
fying than  that  of  a  teacher  laboring  to  fix  in 
the  minds  of  his  class  some  rule  of  syntax,  when 
his  own  language  at  the  very  moment  shows  an 
entire  disregard  of  the  rule.  It  is  very  common 
to  hear  teachers  talk  of  "sums"  to  their  classes 
in  arithmetic,  and  even  to  ask  them  to  do  "  sums  " 
in  subtraction  or  division  I  The  term  "  question  " 
is  often  as  improperly  applied,  when  no  question 
is  asked.  The  teacher  should  be  accurate  in  the 
use  of  terms.  "  Question  "  is  soinetimes  the  proper 
word ;  sometimes,  "  problem. ";  and  sometimes,  "  ex- 
ercise "  or  "example",  may  with  more  propriety 
be  used:  but  "sum"  means  the  amount  of  several 
numbers  when  added,  and  it  should  not  be  ap- 
plied as  the  name  of  an  exercise.  Some  teachers 
use  the  terms  ratio  and  'proportion^  interchange- 
ably, as  if  they  were  synonyms.  Such  inaccu- 
racies in   the  teacher  will   be   sure   to  be   repro- 


*  We  are  reminded  by  this  of  the  college  student  who  was  exam- 
ined rather  closely  by  his  tutor.    "What  is  ratio?"  inquired  the  tutor. 

' Ratio ?"  said  the  younj?  man;  "ratio  is  proportion."  "Well,  what  is 
proportion?"  "Proportion?  proportion  is  ratio."  "Well,  then,"  said 
the  tutor,  looking  perplexed,  "  what  are  both  together ?  "    "  Excuse  me," 

aid  the  pupil.  "  /  can  define  but  one,  at  a  tim/>. ' " 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  145 


Animation.— Children  imitative.— Attitude. 


ducecl  in  the  school,  and  it  is  a  great  evil  for 
the  scholar  to  acquire  a  careless  habit  in  the  use 
of  terms. 

4.  He  should  have  proper  animation  himself. 
Horace  Mann  describes  some  of  the  Scotch  teach- 
ers as  working  themselves  up  into  a  feverish  ex- 
citement in  the  presence  of  their  classes,  and  the 
classes  in  turn  as  literally  bounding  from  the 
floor  when  they  answer  their  hasty  questions. 
Now,  while  I  think  these  Scotch  teachers  go  quite 
too  far,  I  do  think  that  many  of  our  own  teachers 
come  short  of  a  proper  standard  of  animation. 
A  teacher  should  be  readj^,  without  being  rapid ; 
animated,  without  being  boisterous.  Children  are 
imitative  beings ;  and  it  is  astonishing  to  observe 
how  very  soon  they  catch  the  manners  of  the 
teacher.  If  he  is  heavy  and  plodding  in  his 
movements,  they  will  very  soon  be  dull  and 
drowsy  in  theirs ;  then,  if  he  speaks  in  a  sprightly 
tone,  and  moves  about  with  an  elastic  step,  they 
almost  realize  a  resurrection  from  the  dead.  If 
he  appears  absent-minded,  taking  but  little  in- 
terest in  the  lesson  which  is  recited,  they  will  be 
as  inattentive,  at  least^  as  he ;  while,  if  ail  his 
looks  and  actions  indicate  that  the  subject  is  of 
some  importance,  he  will  gain  their  attention. 
Nor  can  I  refrain  in  this  place  from  suggesting 
to  the  teacher  the  importance  of  regarding  his 
manners,  while  engaged  in  conducting  a  recita- 
tion. His  attitude  should  not  be  one  of  indolence 
or  coarseness, — and  when  he  moves  from  his  seat. 


l46  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

The  attention  of  the  class.— A  routine.— "  Books  but  helps." 

and  appears  at  the  blackboard  to  illustrate  any 
point,  it  should  be  done  gracefully,  and  with  a 
constant  regard  to  the  fact,  that  every  look  and 
every  motion  teaches. 

5.  He  should  never  proceed  ivithout  the  atten- 
tion of  the  class.  A  loss  of  interest  is  sure  to 
follow  a  want  of  attention.  Besides,  a  habit  of 
inattention,  while  it  is  very  common,  is  also  a 
great  calamity  to  the  person  who  falls  into  it 
during  life.  Many  a  sermon  is  lost  upon  a  por- 
tion of  the  audience  in  our  churches  every  Sab- 
bath from  this  cause.  When  the  attention  is 
aroused,  the  impression  made  is  enduring ;  and 
one  idea  then  communicated  is  worth  a  hundred 
at  any  other  time. 

6.  Avoid  a  formal  routine  in  teaching.  Chil- 
dren are  very  apt  to  imbibe  the  notion  that  they 
study  in  order  to  recite.  They  have  but  little  idea 
of  any  purpose  of  acquirement  beyond  recitation ; 
hence  they  study  their  text-book  as  mere  words. 
The  teacher  should,  as  soon  as  possible,  lead  them 
to  study  the  subject,  using  the  book  simply  as  an 
instrument.  "Books  are  but  helps" — should  be- 
come their  motto.  In  order  to  bring  this  about, 
the  instructor  would  do  well  occasionally  to  leave 
entirely  the  order  of  the  book,  and  question  them 
on  the  topic  they  have  studied.  If  they  are  pur- 
suing arithmetic,  for  instance,  and  they  have 
carefully  prepared  a  definite  number  of  problems, 
it  might  be  well  to  test  their  ability  by  giving 
them   at   the   recitation,    others   of   the  teacher's 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  147 

Utility.— Intelligible  language. 

own  preparing,  involving  an  application  of  what 
they  have  learned  to  the  business  of  life.  This 
will  lead  them  to  study  intelligently.  Besides,  as 
soon  as  they  begin  to  see  how  their  knowledge 
is  to  be  useful  to  them,  they  have  a  new  motive 
to  exertion.  They  should  be  so  taught  as  to  dis- 
cover that  grammar  will  improve  their  under- 
standing and  use  of  language ;  that  writing  will 
prepare  them  for  business,  and  by  enabling  them 
to  communicate  with  their  friends,  will  add  to 
their  enjoyment ;  and  so  of  reading  and  the  other 
branches. 

7.  Be  careful  to  use  language  which  is  intel- 
ligible to  children,  whenever  an  explanation  is 
given.  The  object  of  an  explanation  is  to  eluci- 
date, to  make  clearer.  How  is  this  object  accom- 
plished when  the  explanation  is  less  intelligible 
than  the  thing  explained  ?  Suppose  a  child  should 
ask  her  teacher  to  explain  the  cause  of  cold  in 
winter  and  heat  in  summer ;  in  other  words,  the 
cause  of  the  change  of  seasons.  ''O,  yes,"  says 
he,  pleasantly.  "The  annual  revolution  of  the 
earth  round  the  sun  in  connection  with  the  obli- 
quity of  the  ecliptic,  occasions  the  succession  of 
the  four  seasons."*  The  child  listens  to  these 
"words  of  learned  length"  and  is  astonished  at 
the  learning  of  her  teacher ;  but  she  has  no 
clearer  idea,  than  before,  of  the  point  she  inquired 
about. 

Mr.  S.  R.  Hall,  in  his  lectures,  gives  the  foUow- 

♦  Worcester's  Geography. 


148  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

A  forcible  illustration. 

ing  forcible  illustration  of  the  same  point.  "Will 
you  please  tell  me  why  I  carry  one  for  every 
ten?"  said  little  Laura  to  her  instructor.  "Yes, 
my  dear,"  said  he,  kindly.  "It  is  because  num- 
bers increase  from  right  to  left  in  a  decimal 
ratio."  Laura  sat  and  repeated  it  to  herself 
two  or  three  times,  and  then  looked  very  sad. 
The  master,  as  soon  as  he  had  answered,  pursued 
his  other  business  and  did  not  notice  her.  But 
she  was  disappointed.  She  understood  him  no 
better  than  if  he  had  used  words  of  another  lan- 
guage. *'  Decimal "  and  "  ratio  "  were  words  that 
might  have  fallen  on  her  ear  before ;  but  if  so, 
she  understood  them  none  the  better  for  it.  She 
looked  in  the  dictionary  and  was  disappointed 
again,  and  after  some  time,  put  away  her  arith- 
metic. When  asked  by  her  teacher  why  she  did 
so,  she  replied,  '  I  don't  like  to  study  it ;  I  can't 
understand  it.' 

"  Now,  the  injury  to  little  Laura  was  very  great. 
She  had  commenced  the  study  with  interest ;  she 
had  learned  to  answer  a  great  many  questions  in 
arithmetic,  and  had  been  pleased.  She  wac  now 
using  a  slate  and  writing  her  figures  on  it,  and 
had  found  the  direction  to  carry  one  for  every 
ten.  This  she  might  have  been  made  to  under- 
stand. The  master  loved  his  scholars  and  wished 
to  benefit  them,  but  forgot  that  terms  perfectly 
plain  to  hitn  would  be  unintelligible  to  the  child. 
From  that  moment,  Laura  disliked  arithmetic, 
and    every   effort   that  could    be    used  with   her 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  149 

Honest  confession,— not  mystification.—"  More  requires  more ! " 

could  not  efface  the  impression  that  it  was  a  hard 

study,  and  she  could  not  understand  it." 

While  upon  this  subject,  I  might  urge  that 
teachers  should  not  resort  to  evasion  when  thej 
are  not  able  to  explain.  It  is  a  much  more  hon- 
orable, and  far  more  satisfactory  course,  for  the 
teacher  frankly  to  confess  his  inability  to  explain, 
than  to  indulge  in  some  ridiculous  mysticism  to 
keep  u]3  the  show  of  knowledge.  I  may  never 
forget  the  passage  I  first  made  through  the  Rule 
of  Tlirce,  and  the  manner  in  which  my  manifold 
perplexities  respecting  "  direct  and  inverse "  pro- 
portion were  solved.  "Sir,"  said  I,  after  puzzling 
a  long  time  over  "more  requiring  more  and  less 
requiring  less" — "will  you  tell  me  why  I  some- 
times multiply  the  second  and  third  terms  to- 
gether and  divide  by  the  first — and  at  other 
times  multiply  the  first  and  second  and  divide 
by  the  third?"  "Why,  because  more  requires 
more  sometimes,  and  sometimes  it  requires  less — 
to  be  sure.  Haven't  you  read  the  rule,  my  boy?" 
"Yes,  sir,  I  can  repeat  the  rule,  but  I  don't  un- 
derstand it."  "  Why,  it  is  because  '  more  requires 
more  and  less  requires  less' !  "  "But  ivhy^  sir,  do 
I  multiply  as  the  rule  says?"  "Why,  because 
'more  requires  more  and  less  requires  less' — see. 
the  rule  says  so.''  "I  know  the  rule  says  so,  but 
I  wished  to  understand  tuhy.''  "Why?  why?'' 
looking  at  me  as  if  idiocy  itself  trembled  before 
him — "  why  ? — why,  because  the  rule  says  so  ; 
don't  you  see  it  ? — ^^^  More  requires  more  and 


150  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

Accurate  and  prompt  recitation.— It  saves  time. 

less  requires  less  I " — and  in  the  midst  of  this  in- 
exphcable  combination  of  more  and  less,  I  shrunk 
away  to  my  seat,  blindly  to  follow  the  rule  be- 
cause it  said  so.  Such  teaching  as  this  is  enough 
to  stultify  the  most  inquiring  mind ;  and  it  is  to 
secure  the  blessing  of  relief  from  such  influence 
to  the  children  of  any  particular  district,  that  we 
come  to  consider  an  occasional  change  of  teachers 
a  mitigated  evil. 

8.  Require  prompt  and  accurate  recitation. 
I  know  of  nothing  that  will  abate  the  interest  of 
a  class  sooner  than  dull  and  dragging  recitations. 
The  temptation  in  such  cases  is  very  strong  for 
the  teacher  to  help  the  class  by  the  "drawing- 
out  process"  before  described.  This,  however, 
only  makes  the  matter  worse.  The  dull  recitation 
calls  for  the  teacher's  aid ;  and  his  aid  reproduces 
the  dull  recitation.  The  only  way  is  to  stop  at 
once,  and  refuse  to  proceed  till  the  recitation  can 
go  alone.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  have  good  lessons 
as  poor ;  and  the  teacher  should  have  the  energy 
to  insist  upon  them.  Mark  the  countenances  of 
a  class  as  they  go  to  their  seats  after  a  good 
recitation.  They  feel  that  they  have  done  some- 
thing, and  they  look  as  if  they  valued  their 
teacher's  approbation  and  their  own  so  highly, 
that  they  will  learn  the  next  lesson  still  better. 

It  is,  moreover,  a  great  saving  of  time,  to  have 
•the  lessons  promptly  recited.  This  saving  will 
afford  the  opportunity  to  introduce  those  addi- 
tional   illustrations   I   have   before    suggested,   in 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  151 

Simultaneous  recitation. — Its  evils. — Sometimes  allowable. 

order  to  excite  a  still  deeper  interest.  It  may 
sometimes,  though  not  always,  be  well  to  make  a 
prompt  and  perfect  recitation  the  condition  of 
introducing  the  additional  matter, 

9.  Rely  not  too  much  upon  simultaneous  reci- 
tation. This  has  become  quite  too  fashionable  of 
late.  It  had  its  origin  in  the  large  schools  estab- 
hshed  some  years  since,  known  as  Lancasterian 
schools,  and  perhaps  was  well  enough  adapted  to 
schools  kept  upon  that  plan  in  large  cities.  But 
when  this  mode  of  reciting  is  adopted  in  our  dis- 
trict and  country  schools,  where  the  circumstances 
of  large  numbers  and  extreme  backwardness  are 
wanting,  it  is  entirely  uncalled  for,  and,  like  other 
city  fashions  transferred  to  the  country,  is  really 
out  of  place. 

Seriously,  I  look  upon  this  as  one  of  the  prom- 
inent faults  in  many  of  our  schools.  It  destroys 
all  independence  in  the  pupil  by  taking  away 
his  individuality.  He  moves  with  the  phalanx. 
Learning  to  rely  on  others,  he  becomes  superficial 
in  his  lessons.  He  is  tempted  to  indolence  by  a 
knowledge  that  his  deficiencies  will  not  stand  out 
by  themselves ;  and  he  comforts  himself  after  a 
miserable  recitation  with  the  consoling  reflection 
that  he  has  been  able  to  conceal  his  want  of 
thoroughness  from  his  teacher. 

It  may  sometimes  be  useful.  A  few  questions 
thus  answered  may  serve  to  give  animation  to  a 
class  when  their  interest  begins  to  flag ;  but  that 
which   may  serve   as   a   stimulant   must   not  be 


152  CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS. 

The  teaclier  makes  his  mark  at  recitation. 

relied  on  for  nutrition.  As  an  example  of  its 
usefulness,  I  have  known  a  rapid  reader  tamed 
into  due  moderation  by  being  put  in  companion- 
ship with  others  of  slower  speech,  just  as  we 
tame  a  friskful  colt  by  harnessing  him  into  a 
team  of  grave  old  horses.  But  aside  from  some 
such  definite  purpose,  I  have  seen  no  good  come 
of  this  innovation.  I  am  satisfied  its  prevalence 
is  an  evil,  and  worthy  of  the  careful  considera- 
tion of  teachers. 

By  the  foregoing  means,  and  others  which  will 
suggest  themselves  to  the  thoughtful  teacher's 
mind,  he  can  arouse  the  interest  of  his  classes  so 
that  study  will  be  more  attractive  than  play. 
For  this  object  every  teacher  should  labor.  It  is 
of  course  impossible  to  give  specific  rules  to  meet 
every  case ;  it  is  not  desirable  to  do  it.  The 
teacher,  put  upon  the  track,  will  easily  devise  his 
own  expedients ;  and  Ms  own,  be  it  remembered, 
will  usually  l>e  found  the  best  for  him. 

As  a  motive  for  every  teacher  to  study  care- 
fully the  art  of  teaching  well  at  the  recitation,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  then  and  there  he 
comes  before  his  pupils  in  a  peculiar  and  promi- 
nent manner ;  it  is  there  his  mind  comes  specially 
in  contact  with  theirs,  and  there  that  he  lays  in 
them,  for  good  or  for  evil,  the  foundations  of 
their  mental  habits.  It  is  at  the  recitation  in  a 
peculiar  manner,  that  he  makes  his  mark  upon 
their  minds ;    and   as  the  seal  upon  the  wax,  so 


CONDUCTING     RECITATIONS.  153 


Attitude  of  attention  important.— How  secured. 

his  mental  character  upon  theirs  leaves  its  im- 
press behind  ! 

During  the  recitation,  pupils  should  be  kept  in 
an  attitude  of  constant  attention,  and  this  end 
may  usuall}^  be  secured  as  follows :  Much  is 
gained  by  massing  pupils.  There  is  always  a 
great  dissipation  of  nervous  force  in  attempting 
to  teach  pupils  who  are  scattered  over  a  large 
area,  for  inattention  is  sure  to  result  from  such 
isolation.  A  long  line  should  be  broken  up  into 
two  or  three  shorter  lines,  the  shortest  pupils  in 
front,  the  tallest  in  the  rear.  In  carrying  forward 
the  work  of  the  recitation,  the  questions  should 
always  be  asked  before  pupils  are  summoned  to 
answer  them ;  and  in  calling  up  pupils  to  recite^ 
there  should  be  no  fixed  order,  or  no  order  that 
can  be  foreseen ;  and  where  there  is  a  strong 
tendency  to  inattention,  one  call  should  not  ex- 
empt a  pupil  from  further  service.  There  are 
decided  advantages  in  calling  up  pupils  by  means 
of  cards  on  which  their  names  are  written. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 

IT  is  ever  an  interesting  question  to  the  teacher, 
and  one  which  he  should  consider  with  great 
care — "How  can  I  excite  among  my  pupils  an 
interest  in  their  studies  ?  "  The  intelligent  teacher 
feels  that  this  is  the  great  question ;  for  he  fore- 
sees that,  if  he  fails  here,  his  difficulty  in  govern- 
ing his  school  will  be  very  much  increased.  He 
therefore  turns  his  attention  with  deep  solicitude 
to  the  motives  he  may  present,  and  the  methods 
he  may  employ  to  awaken  and  keep  alive  the 
interest  of  the  school. 

If  he  has  reflected  at  all  upon  the  subject,  he 
has  already  arrived  *at  the  conviction,  that  it  is 
necessary  for  the  good  of  all  concerned  that  the 
interest  awakened  should  be  an  abiding  one ;  that 
it  should  not  only  not  abate  during  the  term  of 
school,  but  continue  —  nay,  grow  stronger  and 
stronger  —  even  after  school -days  have  passed 
away.  There  is  probably  no  greater  mistake  in 
education,  than  that  of  raising  in  school  an  arti- 
ficial excitement,  which  may  aid  perhaps  in 
securing  better  recitations,  but  which  will  do 
nothing  toward  putting  the  mind  into  such  a 
state,   that    it   will    press    on    in    the    pursuit    of 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  155 

A  common  mistake.— Emulation.— Perplexity. 


knowledge  even  after  the  living  teacher  has  closed 
his  labors. 

The  higher  principles  of  our  nature  being 
aroused  with  difficulty,  are  too  apt  to  be  neglected 
by  the  teacher,  and  thus  they  remain  in  their 
original  feebleness ;  while  he  contents  himself 
with  appealing  to  our  lower  characteristics, — thus 
doing  a  lasting  injury  by  unduly  cultivating  and 
strengthening  them,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
awakens,  after  all,  but  a  temporary  interest. 

In  view  of  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and 
the  difficulty  of  judging  aright  upon  it,  I  shall 
make  no  apology  for  devoting  a  few  pages  to  the 
consideration  of 

SECTION    I.— INCENTIVES    TO    STUDY— EMULATION. 

The  teacher  will  find,  in  a  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, in  the  mind  of  every  child,  the  principle  of 
Emulation.  It  is  a  question  very  much  debated 
of  late.  What  shall  he  do  with  it  ?  Much  has 
been  said  and  wTitten  on  this  question,  and  the 
ablest  minds,  both  of  past  ages  and  the  present, 
have  given  us  their  conclusions  respecting  it ; 
and  it  often  increases  the  perplexity  of  the  young 
teacher  to  find  the  widest  difference  of  opinion 
on  this  subject  among  men  upon  whom  in  other 
things  he  would  confidingly  rely  for  guidance. 
Why,  asks  he,  why  is  this?  Is  there  no  such 
thing  as  truth  in  this  matter  ?  or  have  these  men 
misunderstood  each  other  ?    When  they  have  writ- 


166         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
Bxperimeiitiiig. — Its  evil  consequences. 

ten  with  so  much  abihty  and  so  much  earnest- 
ness,— some  zealously  recommending  emulation 
as  a  safe  and  desirable  principle  to  be  encouragea 
in  the  young,  and  others  as  warmly  denouncing 
it  as  altogether  unworthy  and  improper, — have 
they  been  thinking  of  the  same  thing  ?  Thus 
perplexed  with  conflicting  opinions,  he  is  thrown 
back  upon  his  own  reflection  for  a  decision  ;  or 
what  is  more  common,  he  endeavors  to  find  the 
truth  by  experimenting  upon  his  pupils.  He  tries 
one  course  for  one  term,  and  a  different  one  the 
next ;  repeats  both  during  the  third,  and  still 
finds  himself  unsettled  as  he  commences  the 
fourth.  Meantime,  some  of  his  experiments  have 
wrought  out  a  lasting  injury  upon  the  minds  of 
his  pupils ;  for,  if  every  teacher  must  settle  every 
doubt  by  new  experiments  upon  his  classes,  the 
progress  that  is  made  in  the  science  and  art  of 
teaching  must  be  at  the  untold  expense  of  each 
new  set  of  children ; — just  as  if  the  young  doctor 
could  take  nothing  as  settled  by  the  experience 
of  his  predecessors,  but  must  try  over  again  for 
himself  the  effect  of  all  the  various  medical 
agents,  in  order  to  decide  whether  arsenic  does 
corrode  the  stomach  and  produce  death, — whether 
cantharides  can  be  best  applied  inwardly  or  out- 
wardly,— whether  mercury  is  most  salutary  when 
administered  in  ounces  or  grains,  or  whether  re- 
pletion or  abstinence  is  preferable  in  a  fever ! 
When  such  is  the  course  of  a  young  practitioner 
in  a  community,  who  does  not  confidently  expect 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         157 
Two  senses.— Define  the  terms.— The  good  sense. 

the  church-yard  soon  to  become  the  most  populous 
district,  and  the  sexton  to  be  the  most  thrifty 
personage  in  the  village,  unless  indeed  he  too 
should  become  the  subject  of  experiment? 

But  is  there  not  a  good  sense  and  a  bad  sense, 
associated  with  the  term  Emulation ; — and  have 
not  these  eager  disputants  fallen  into  the  same 
error,  in  this  matter,  that  the  two  knights  com- 
mitted, when  they  immolated  each  other  in  a 
contest  about  the  question  whether  a  shield  was 
gold  or  silver,  when  each  had  seen  hut  one  side 
of  it  ?  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  this  is  the 
case, — and  that  those  who  wax  so  warm  in  this 
contest,  would  do  well  to  give  us  at  the  outset  a 
careful  dejlnition  of  the  term  Emulation,  as  they 
intend  to  use  it.  This  would  perhaps  save  them- 
selves a  great  deal  of  toil,  and  their  readers  a 
great  deal  of  perplexity. 

Now,  it  seems  to  me  the  truth  of  this  question 
lies  within  a  nutshell.  1.  If  emulation  means  a 
desire  for  improvement,  j^^ogress,  growth, — an  ar- 
dent wish  to  rise  above  one's  present  condition 
or  attainments, — or  even  an  aspiration  to  attain 
to  eminence  in  the  school  or  in  the  world,  it  is 
a  laudable  motive.  This  is  self-emidation.  It 
presses  the  individual  on  to  surpass  himself.  It 
compares  his  present  condition  with  what  he 
would  be — with  what  he  ought  to  be  ;  and,  "  for- 
getting those  things  which  are  behind,  and  reach- 
ing forth  unto  those  which  are  before,  he  presses 
toward    the    mark    for    the    prize."      "An    ardor 


158         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
The  bad  sense.— Characteristics. 

kindled  by  the  praiseworthy  examples  of  others, 
inciting  to  imitate  them,  or  to  equal,  or  even 
excel  them,  without  the  desire  of  depressing 
them  ",*  is  the  sense  in  which  the  apostle  uses 
the  term  [Romans,  xi.  14]  when  he  says:  "If  by 
any  means  I  may  provoke  to  emulation  them 
which  are  my  flesh,  and  might  save  some  of 
them."  If  this  be  the  meaning  of  emulation,  it 
is  every  way  a  worthy  principle  to  be  appealed 
to  in  school.  This  principle  exists  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  in  the  mind  of  every  child,  and  may 
very  safely  be  strengthened  by  being  called  by 
the  teacher  into  lively  exercise ;  provided  always, 
that  the  eminence  is  sought  from  a  desire  to 
be  useful,  and  not  from  a  desire  of  self-glorifi- 
cation. 

2.  But  if  emulation,  on  the  other  hand,  means 
a  desire  of  surpassing  others,  for  the  sake  of  sur- 
passing them;  if  it  be  a  disposition  that  will 
cause  an  individual  to  be  as  well  satisfied  with 
the  highest  place,  whether  he  has  risen  above  his 
fellows  by  his  intrinsic  well-doing,  or  they  have 
fallen  below  him  by  their  neglect ;  if  it  puts  him 
in  such  a  relation  to  others  that  their  failures 
will  be  as  gratifying  to  him  as  his  own  success; 
if  it  be  a  principle  that  prompts  the  secret  wish 
in  the  child  that  others  may  miss  their  lessons, 
in  order  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  gain  ap- 
plause by  a  contrast  with  their  abasement, — then, 
without    doubt,  it    is    an    unworthy  and    unholy 

♦  Dr.  Webster. 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  159 


Ambition.— The  two  views  of  emuJatioii  compared. 

principle,  and  should  never  be  encouraged  or 
appealed  to  by  the  teacher.  It  has  no  similitude 
to  that  spirit  which  prompts  a  man  to  "love  his 
neighbor  as  himself".  It  has  none  of  that  gen- 
erosity which  rejoices  in  the  success  of  others. 
Carried  out  in  after-life,  it  becomes  amhition,  such 
as  fired  the  breast  of  a  Napoleon,  who  sought  a 
throne  for  himself,  though  he  waded  through  the 
blood  of  millions  to  obtain  it. 

It  is  to  this  principle  that  the  apostle,  before 
quoted,  alludes,  when  he  classes  emulation  with  the 
"  works  of  the  flesh  ",  which  are  these  :  "  adultery, 
fornication,  uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry, 
witchcraft,  hatred,  variance,  Emulation,  wrath, 
strife,  seditions,  etc., — of  the  which  things,  I  tell 
you  before,  as  I  have  told  you  in  times  past,  that 
they  which  do  such  things  shall  not  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God."  It  is  of  this  principle  that  the 
commentator,  Scott,  remarks : — "  This  thirst  for 
human  applause  has  caused  more  horrible  viola- 
tions of  the  law  of  love,  and  done  more  to  deso- 
late the  earth,  than  even  the  grossest  sensuality 
ever  did." 

Thus,  Emulation  is  a  term  which  indicates  a 
very  good  or  a  very  bad  thing,  according  to  the 
definition  we  give  it.  In  one  view  of  it,  the 
warmest  aspirings  to  rise  are  consistent  with  a 
generous  wish  that  others  may  rise  also.  It  is 
even  compatible  with  a  heartfelt  satisfaction  in 
its  possessor  at  the  progress  of  others,  though 
they  should   outstrip  him   in  his  upward  course. 


160  EXCITING     INTEKEST     IN     STUDY. 

The  teacher's  duty.— Objections. 

It  is  the  spirit  which  actuates  all  true  Christians, 
as  they  wend  their  way  heavenward,  rejoicing  the 
more  as  they  find  the  way  is  thronged  with  those 
who  hope  to  gain  an  immortal  crown. 

In  the  other  view  of  it,  we  see  men  actuated 
by  selfishness  mingled  with  pride,  inquiring,  in 
the  spirit  of  those  mentioned  in  the  Scripture, 
"Who  among  us  shall  be  the  greatest?"  We 
every-where  see  men  violating  these  sacred  in- 
junctions of  divine  wisdom :  "  Let  no  man  seek 
his  own,  but  every  man  another's  wealth."  "Let 
nothing  be  done  through  strife  or  vain-glory ;  but 
in  lowliness  of  mind,  let  each  esteem  other  bet- 
ter than  themselves." — "  In  honor  preferring  one 
another." 

If  such  be  the  true  picture  of  emulation,  in 
both  the  good  and  the  bad  sense,  certainly  teach- 
ers can  not  hesitate  a  moment  as  to  their  duty. 
They  may  appeal  to  the  principle  first  described, — 
cultivate  and  strengthen  it ;  and  in  so  doing,  they 
may  be  sure  they  are  doing  a  good  work.  But 
unless  they  intend  to  violate  the  teachings  of 
common  sense,  and  the  higher  teachings  of  Chris- 
tianity, /  know  not  how  they  can  appeal  to  the 
principle  of  emulation  as  defined  in  the  second 
case. 

But  it  may  be  urged  that  the  teacher  will  find 
emulation,  even  in  this  latter  sense,  existing  in 
human  nature ;  that  he  can  not  get  rid  of  it  if 
he  will ;    that  it  will  be  one  of   the  most  active 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  161 

Eurther  objections.— Emulation  not  essential  to  success. 


principles  to  which  he  can  resort  in  arousing  the 
the  mind  to  exertion ;  and,  furthermore,  that  it 
has  been  appealed  to  by  many  of  the  most  emi- 
nent teachers  time  out  of  mind. 

To  this  it  is  replied,  that  it  is  not  disputed 
that  children  are  selfish  ;  and  that  this  selfishness 
may  indeed  be  made  a  powerful  instrumentality 
in  urging  them  forward  to  the  attainment  of  a 
temporary  end.  But  does  the  existence  of  selfish- 
ness prove  that  it  needs  cultivation  in  the  human 
character?  And  will  the  end,  when  attained,  jus- 
tify the  means  ?  Is  the  end,  whatever  it  may  be, 
if  attained  at  such  a  cost,  a  blessing  to  be  de- 
sired? Will  not  the  heart  suffer  more  than  the 
head  will  gain? 

It  may  be  further  urged,  that  the  child  will 
find  the  world  full  of  this  principle  when  he 
leaves  the  school ;  and  why,  it  is  asked,  should  he 
at  school  be  thrown  into  an  unnatural  position? 
I  answer  that  evil  is  not  to  be  overcome  by  mak- 
ing evit  more  prevalent, — and  though  there  may 
be  too  much  of  self-seeking  in  the  world,  that  is 
the  very  reason  why  the  teacher  should  not  en- 
courage its  growth.  The  more  true  Christianity 
prevails  in  the  world,  the  less  there  will  be  of 
that  spirit  which  rejoices  at  another's  halting  ;• 
hence  I  am  convinced  the  teacher  should  do 
nothing  to  make  that  spirit  more  prevalent. 

Nor  is  it  essential  to  the  progress  of  the  pupil 
even  temporarily,  since  there  are  other  and  wor- 
thier   principles    which    can    be    as    successfully 


162         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
Tlie  conclusion.— Prizes. 

called  into  action.  If  we  look  carefully  at  the 
expediency  of  thus  stimulating  the  mind,  we  find 
that  after  the  first  trial  of  strength,  many  become 
disheartened  and  fall  behind  in  despair.  It  will 
soon  be  obvious,  in  a  class  of  twenty,  who  are 
the  few  that  will  be  likely  to  surpass  all  others ; 
and  therefore  all  the  others,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
fall  back  into  envy,  perhaps  into  hopeless  indif- 
ference. Who  has  not  seen  this  in  a  class  in 
spelling,  for  instance,  where  the  strife  was  for  the 
"'Jiead'"  of  the  class,  but  where  all  but  two  or 
three  were  quite  as  well  satisfied  with  being  at 
the  ''''footV  It  does  not,  then,  accomplish  the 
purpose  for  which  it  is  employed ;  and  since  those 
who  are  aroused  by  it,  are  even  more  injured 
than  those  who  are  indifferent,  their  undesirable 
qualities  being  thus  strengthened,  the  opinion  is 
entertained  that  those  teachers  are  the  most  wise, 
who  bend  their  ingenuity  to  find  some  other 
means  to  awaken  the  minds  of  the  children 
under  their  charge. 

From  what  has  been  said,  then.  Emulation  is 
to  be  recognised  or  repudiated  among  the  incen- 
tives of  the  school-room,  according  to  the  signifi- 
cation we  assign  to  the  term. 

SECTION    II.— PRIZES. 

It  has  for  a  long  time  been  the  custom  of 
teachers  to  offer  some  prize  as  an  incentive  to 
exertion   in   school ;    a   prize   of   some   pecuniary 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IX     STUDY.  163 

Honest  investigation.— Experience.— Its  result. 

value,  a  book,  or  a  medal.  In  some  places  benefi- 
cent individuals  have  bestowed  by  legacy  the 
means  to  purchase  annually  the  prizes  thus  to  be 
used.  Every  young  teacher  is  called  upon,  there- 
fore, to  inquire  whether  such  an  incentive  is  a 
proper  one  to  be  employed  in  the  school-room. 
If  there  is  any  good  to  be  expected  from  such 
incentive,  will  it  counterbalance  the  evils  that 
spring  from  the  practice?  Will  the  good  of  the 
whole  school  be  promoted  by  such  a  measure, — 
and  will  this  be  a  permanent  or  a  temporary 
good?  These  are  questions  which  press  for  an 
honest  answer ;  and  the  faithful  teacher  should 
not  shrink  from  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
■whole  matter ;  and  if  he  finds  good  reason  to 
differ  from  time -honored  authority,  he  should 
abide  by  the  truth  rather  than  by  prescriptive 
usage. 

In  my  own  case,  I  may  be  allowed  to  say,  my 
mind  was  early  turned  to  this  point ;  though,  1 
confess,  with  a  strong  bias  in  favor  of  the  use  of 
prizes.  Pretty  thoroughly  for  a  series  of  years  did 
I  test  their  efficacy,  but  with  a  growing  convic- 
tion that  the  prize  was  not  the  proper  instrumen- 
tality to  create  a  healthy  interest  in  the  school. 
This  conviction  acquired  additional  strength  by 
three  or  four  years'  trial  of  other  incentives ;  and 
it  was  fully  confirmed  afterward  by  a  trial  made 
for  the  purpose  of  testing  again  the  efficiency  of 
a  prize,  at  an  age  when  I  could  more  carefully 
watch   the  workings    of    the   human    mind,   and 


164         EXCITING     INTEKEST     IN     STUDY. 
Keasons  assigned.— Prize  becomes  the  leading  motive. 

better  appreciate  the  benefits  or  evils  resulting 
from  such  a  measure.  I  am  now  free  to  say  that 
I  am  satisfied  that  prizes  offered  to  a  school  in 
such  a  way  that  all  may  compete  for  them,  and 
only  two  or  three  obtain  them,  will  always  he 
productive  of  evil  consequences,  far  overbalancing 
any  temporary  or  partial  good  that  m,ay  arise 
from  them,  and  therefore  they  ought  not  to  he 
used  as  incitements  in  our  schools* 

Having  expressed  an  opinion  so  decidedly  upon 
a  measure  which  claims  among  its  friends  and 
advocates  some  of  the  best  minds  in  the  country, 
I  shall  be  expected  to  assign  some  reasons  for 
the  faith  I  entertain.  From  this  I  shall  not 
shrink.  I  proceed  therefore  to  express  such  ob- 
jections to  the  use  of  prizes,  as  have  been  sug- 
gested to  my  mind  by  my  own  experience,  and 
confirmed  by  the  experience  and  observation  of 
others  in  whom  I  have  great  confidence. 

I.  The  offer  of  a  prize  gives  undue  pronfiinence 
to  a  comparatively  unworthy  object.  It  practi- 
cally teaches  the  child  to  undervalue  the  higher 
reward  of  a  good  conscience,  and  a  love  of  learn- 
ing for  its  own  sake.  The  dazzling  medal  is 
placed  in  the  foreground  of  his  field  of  vision ; 
and  it  is  very  likely  to  eclipse  those  less  showy 


*  It  may  be  well  to  remind  the  reader  that  I  have  used  the  term 
Piizes  here  in  contradistinction  from  a  sj'stem  of  Bewards,  by  which  the 
teacher  proposes  to  give  some  token  of  his  regard  to  every  one  who  does 
well,— and  the  more  brilliant  success  of  a  few  does  not  necessarily  pre- 
clude others  from  participating  in  the  favor  according  to  their  merit. 
Of  such  a  system  of  Howards  I  shaU  have  something  to  say  presently. 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  165 

Engenders  rivalry.— The /ew  only  are  stimulated. 

but  more  abiding  rewards  found  in  a  sense  of 
duty  and  a  desire  to  be  qualified  for  usefulness. 
In  studying  his  lesson  he  thinks  of  the  prize.  He 
studies  that  he  may  merely  recite  well ;  for  it  is 
a  good  recitation  that  wins  the  prize.  He  thinks 
not  of  duty,  or  of  future  usefulness ;  the  prize 
outshines  all  other  objects. 

II.  The  pursuit  of  a  prize  engenders  a  spirit 
of  rivalry  among  the  pupils.  Rivalry  in  pursuit 
of  an  object  which  only  one  can  attain,  and  which 
all  others  must  lose,  must  end  in  exultation  on 
the  part  of  the  winner,  and  disappointment  and 
envy  on  the  part  of  the  losers.  It  may  be  said, 
this  ought  not  to  he  so;  but  seldom  can  it  be  said, 
that  it  is  not  so.  Such  is  human  nature,  and 
such  it  ever  will  be.  Unpleasant  feelings — some- 
times concealed,  to  be  sure,  but  generally  expressed 
in  unequivocal  terms — grow  out  of  the  award  of 
almost  every  school  prize,  and  sometimes  con- 
tinue to  exert  their  baleful  influence  through  life. 
Now,  as  long  as  human  nature  brings  forth  un- 
lovely traits  almost  spontaneously,  such  direct 
efforts  to  cultivate  them  surely  are  not  called  for. 
It  is  the  part  of  wisdom,  then,  to  omit  such  cult- 
ure and  avoid  such  results,  especially  when  safer 
means  are  so  accessible. 

III.  The  hope  of  gaining  the  prize  stimulates 
only  the  feiv,  while  the  many  become  indifferent. 
This  is  admitted  to  be  true,  even  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  prize  system.  Let  a  prize  be  offered 
in  any  class  as  a  reward  for  the  best  scholarship, 


166         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
Exceptions.— In  spite  of  the  system. 

and  in  a  very  few  days  it  becomes  perfectly  ob- 
vious to  all,  who  the  two  or  three  are  that  will  be 
likely  to  outstrip  all  the  others.  These  two  or 
three  will  be  stimulated  to  exertion ;  but  the 
strife  is  left  entirely  to  them.  All  others,  despair- 
ing  of  success,  resolve  at  once  to  "let  their  mod- 
eration be  known  to  all  men";  and  since  the 
prize  has  been  made  so  prominent  an  object, 
they  can  not  be  expected  now  to  look  at  any 
thing  above  and  beyond  it.  Feeling  that  they 
are  not  likely  to  participate  in  the  honors  of  the 
class,  they  have  but  little  disposition  to  share  in 
its  toils. 

This,  to  be  sure,  is  not  always  so.  There  are 
some,  who,  ceasing  to  strive  for  the  prize,  toil  for 
the  more  substantial  blessing — a  good  education, — 
and  in  the  end  come  out  the  best  scholars.  This 
is  the  way  indeed  most  of  our  strong  men  are 
made ;  for  it  has  long  been  remarked  that  the 
prize  scholars  in  our  schools,  and  even  in  our 
colleges,  do  not  usually  become  the  most  distin- 
guished men.  On  the  other  hand,  many  of  them 
are  never  heard  of  after  receiving  their  honors. 
But,  though  some  of  the  slower  scholars  do  thus 
hit  upon  the  true  path  to  eminence,  it  is  not  to 
be  set  down  to  the  credit  of  the  system  ;  they 
rise  in  spite  of  the  system,  rather  than  by  virtue 
of  it ;  while  the  ultimate  failure  of  the  prize 
scholars  is  usually  directly  attributable  to  the 
defect  of  the  system ;  for  having  been  unduly 
stimulated  to  study  solely  with  reference  to  red- 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         167 
Why  prize  scholars  finally  fail.— The  teacher  should  reach  all. 

tation,  and  not  with  regard  to  future  usefulness, 
their  memories  have  been  developed  out  of  all 
proportion  to  the  other  faculties  of  their  minds ; 
and,  though  they  may  have  been  very  good  re- 
citers, they  have  no  power  to  become  independent 
thinkers.  Under  different  training,  they  might 
have  become  strong  men. 

But  to  look  no  further  than  the  school,  the 
remark  holds  true  in  general,  that  prizes  stimu- 
late the  fetv,  and  the  many  become  indifferent, 
not  only  to  prizes,  but  to  other  and  better  mo- 
tives. That  system  of  incentives  only  can  be 
approved,  which  reaches  and  influences  success- 
fully all  the  mind  subjected  to  its  operation. 

Nor  is  this  an  unimportant  consideration.  It 
is  not  sufficient  praise  for  a  teacher  that  he  has 
a  feiv  good  scholars  in  his  school.  Almost  any 
teacher  can  call  out  the  talent  of  the  active 
scholars  and  make  them  brilliant  reciters.  The 
highest  merit,  however,  lies  in  reaching  all  the 
pupils,  the  dull  as  well  as  the  active,  and  in  mak- 
ing the  most  of  them,  or  rather  in  leading  them 
to  make  the  most  of  themselves.  It  should  be 
remembered  of  every  child,  that  the  present  is 
his  only  opportunity  of  being  a  child,  and  of  re- 
ceiving the  training  appropriate  to  childhood; 
and  that  teacher  who  rests  satisfied  with  a  sys- 
tem that  does  not  reach  the  many,  while  he 
amuses  himself  and  his  visitors  with  the  precoc- 
ity of  a  few  of  his  most  active  scholars,  is  recre- 
ant to  his  responsible  trust. 


168         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN'  STUDY. 

Difficulty  in  awarding  the  prize.— Judges  disagree.— A  fact. 

rV.  There  is  much  difficulty  in  awarding  the 
prize  so  as  to  do  strict  justice  to  all.  So  many 
things  are  to  be  taken  into  the  account  in  order 
to  determine  the  excellence  of  a  performance 
compared  with  others,  that  some  particulars  are 
very  likely  to  be  overlooked.  Those  who  are 
called  to  judge  of  the  results  often  disagree 
among  themselves.  The  following  anecdote  will 
illustrate  this :  Three  literary  gentlemen  were 
appointed  to  select  the  best  from  several  compo- 
sitions, presented  by  a  class  who  had  written 
them  in  competition  for  a  gold  medal.  Each  of 
the  gentlemen  carefully  read  the  whole  number 
in  private,  and  conscientiously  selected  the  best 
according  to  his  judgment.  When  they  came  to- 
gether to  compare  results,  it  was  found  that  each 
man  had  selected  the  test,  but  that  no  two  had 
selected  the  same  !  They  carefully  read  and  com- 
pared the  three,  and  still  each  insisted  that  his 
original  choice  was  the  best.  After  much  debate 
and  considerable  delay,  one  of  the  parties  being 
obliged  to  go  to  his  business,  relieved  himself 
from  a  painful  detention,  and  his  friends  from  a 
perplexing  doubt,  by  saying  he  believed  the  com- 
position he  had  selected  was  the  best;  but  as  he 
could  not  stop  to  claim  its  rights,  he  would  yield 
them  in  favor  of  the  second  best  in  the  hands  of 
one  of  his  associates.  This  ended  the  dispute, 
and  the  action  in  favor  of  the  successful  one,  was 
declared  to  be  unanimous  ! 

This  only  proves  how  difficult  it  is  to  decide  ; 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  169 

The  parties  dissatisfied. — Various  external  aids:  exemplified. 

and  in  the  case  just  cited,  it  might  well  be  asked, 
why  should  one  of  these  competitors  be  held  up 
to  the  multitude  to  be  applauded  and  admired, 
and  the  others  sent  back  to  their  classes  covered 
with  the  shame  of  a  failure?  What  principle  of 
justice  sanctioned  this  decision? 

Nor  is  this  a  solitary  instance.  It  rarely  hap- 
pens that  the  case  is  perfectly  clear.  There  is 
usually  much  perplexity  about  it ;  and  hence  one 
reason  why  the  decision  seldom  satisfies  the 
friends  of  the  parties,  either  in  the  school  or  at 
home.  But  other  considerations  besides  the  in- 
trinsic merits  of  the  performance,  are  to  be  taken 
into  account  in  awarding  a  prize ;  as, 

1.  A  difference  in  the  external  facilities  ivhicJi 
the  competitors  enjoy  for  getting  the  lessons.  One 
pupil  may  be  the  son  of  poverty,  and  be  com- 
pelled to  labor  during  all  the  hours  out  of  school ; 
another  may  be  in  easy  circumstances  and  have 
nothing  to  prevent  giving  undivided  attention  to 
study  during  the  whole  day.  One  may  be  the 
child  of  parents  who  have  no  power  to  render 
assistance  by  way  of  explaining  a  difficult  point; 
while  the  other  may  have  all  his  doubts  removed 
at  once  by  parental  aid.  One  may  never  even  be 
encouraged  by  a  kind  word  at  home ;  another  is 
constantly  urged  to  effort,  and  perhaps  not  allowed 
to  be  idle.  One  may  have  access  to  no  books  but 
his  school-manuals ;  the  other  may  have  at  his 
command  a  large  library.  This  difference  in  cir- 
cumstances  should   be   taken    into  the   account ; 


170         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
Improper  means  iised.— An  "  authoress  I " 

but  it  never  can  be  fully  understood  by  those  who 
are  called  to  decide. 

2.  The  improper  means  luhicli  rnay  have  been 
employed  to  secure  the  prize.  Ambition,  when 
aroused,  is  not  always  scrupulous  of  its  means. 
One  competitor  may  be  high-minded ;  may  enter 
the  arena  determined  to  succeed  by  an  honorable 
strife ;  may  resolve  to  succeed  by  his  own  exer- 
tions, or  to  fail  rather  than  bring  in  any  thing 
which  is  not  the  fruit  of  his  own  study.  Another, 
regardless  of  honor  or  principle,  resolves  only  to 
succeed,  whatever  it  may  cost ;  hesitates  not  to 
copy  from  others  if  possible,  or  to  apply  to  a 
brother  in  college  or  some  friend  in  the  High 
School  to  furnish  the  difficult  solution,  prepared 
to  order.  One  young  lady  spends  days  and  nights 
in  arranging  the  glowing  thoughts  for  her  com- 
position, determined,  if  industry,  study,  good  taste, 
and  a  careful  application  of  the  rules  of  rhetoric 
can  effect  any  thing,  that  her  production  shall  be 
worthy  of  a  prize.  Another,  in  no  way  distin- 
guished for  scholarship,  industry,  or  honor,  writes 
a  careless  letter  to  a  married  sister  in  a  distant 
city,  invoking  her  aid.  In  due  time  the  mail 
brings  an  elegant  essay.  It  is  copied  with  suffi- 
cient accuracy  to  be  read,  and  at  the  examination 
takes  the  prize !  The  fair  "  authoress "  stands 
forth  and  is  flattered  before  the  multitude, — is 
perhaps  made  to  believe  that  she  is  worthy  of 
praise  ;  she  grasps  the  golden  bauble,  and,  covered 
with   the   blushes   of   modesty,  receives  the   con- 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.  171 


Abuses.— System  unsafe. 


gratulations  and  caresses  of  friends,  and  is  after- 
ward reputed  a  good  scholar.  Her  competitors 
meantime  become  convinced  that  effort  can  not 
rival  genius;  they  are  mortified  to  think  they 
have  presumed  to  enter  the  arena  with  native 
talent,  and  become  disheartened  as  to  any  future 
attempt. 

Now,  where  is  the  justice  in  all  this  proceed- 
ing ?  Yet  this  is  not  fiction ;  it  is  history !  If 
such  abuses — abuses  that  might  well  make  an 
angel  weep,  revealing,  as  they  do,  that  woman's 
heart  can  be  thus  sold  to  deception — are  the  ac- 
companiments of  a  prize  system,  may  we  not  well 
doubt  the  utility  of  that  system? 

Yet  who  can  know  either  the  different  facili- 
ties enjoyed  by  the  competitors,  or  the  want  of 
principle  in  some  of  them?  Who  can  enter  the 
secret  chambers  of  the  mind  or  the  heart,  and 
estimate  with  any  accuracy  the  just  amount  of 
merit  in  any  action  ?  This  is  God's  prerogative  ; 
while  "  man  looketh  only  on  the  outward  appear- 
ance ".  My  inference  then  is :  A  system  can 
hardly  he  safe  which  is  so  uncertain. 

Y.  The  prize  reiuards  success,  not  effort  ; 
TALENT,  not  WORTH.  Evcry  one  knows  that  in 
estimating  the  value  and  virtue  of  an  action,  the 
motive  which  prompted  it,  and  the  effort  it  neces- 
sarily cost,  should  be  taken  into  the  account. 
Every  one  knows,  too,  that  success  in  study  is  by 
no  means  a  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  the 
merits  of  the  scholar.     Some   learn  their  lessons 


172         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY, 


Success  overrated.— But  God  rewards.— How? 

with  great  facility  and  with  but  httle  effort ; 
others  study  long  and  patiently  without  any  brill- 
iant results.  One  competitor  for  a  prize  may 
bring  results  which  have  cost  him  midnight  toil 
and  the  most  unremitting  perseverance ;  another 
with  brighter  parts,  and  with  but  little  labor,  is 
able  to  surpass  him,  and  takes  the  medal.  Now, 
the  former  deserves  in  a  far  higher  degree  the 
encouragement  of  the  reward ;  3^et  it  is  given  to 
him  who  has  the  talent,  but  who  lacks  the  indus- 
try. The  rule  of  Scripture  which  announces  that 
"to  whom  much  is  given,  of  him  shall  much  te 
required^\  is  violated,  and  he  is  rewarded  for 
producing  but  little  more  than  the  one  to  whom 
little  is  given. 

It  is  often  urged  by  those  who  advocate  a  sys- 
tem of  prizes  and  rewards,  that  God  rewards; 
and  therefore  it  is  at  least  justifiable  that  we 
should  imitate  his  example.  I  admit  that  God, 
in  his  government,  does  reward ;  but  he  rewards 
effort  rather  than  success;  he  "looketh  upon  the 
heart "  as  man  can  not  do,  and  rewards  worth,  not 
talent.  We  might,  indeed,  imitate  his  example, 
if  we  had  less  frailty,  and  were  not  so  liable  to 
be  imposed  upon  by  the  outward  appearance. 
God  indeed  rewards  men ;  but  he  estimates  the 
secret  intention,  seeing  the  inward  springs  of 
thought  before  they  find  expression  in  words  or 
actions.  He  regards  the  motive,  and  holds  out 
for  the  encouragement  of  the  humblest  child  of 
earth,  who  does  the  best  he  can,  as  rich  a  crown 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         173 


Studying  for  a  prize  only.— Argument  perverted. 

of  glory,  as  he  does  for  those  whose  outward  cir- 
cumstances, in  the  eyes  of  mortals,  are  more  aus- 
picious. When  man  can  as  wisely  and  as  right- 
eously bestow  his  prizes  and  rewards,  there  will 
be  far  less  objection  to  their  use. 

VL  The  pupil  luho  studies  for  a  prize  as  his 
chief  motive,  will  seldom  continue  to  study  when 
the  prize  is  withdraiun.  This  is  so  obvious  as 
scarcely  to  need  illustration.  If  it  be  necessary 
to  add  any  thing  to  the  mere  statemcDt  of  the 
fact,  an  appeal  to  almost  universal  experience 
would  confirm  it.  A  teacher  who  has  depended 
upon  prizes  in  a  school,  finds  it  very  difficult  to 
awaken  an  interest  there,  when  he  withdraws  the 
prize.  Hence  many  have,  on  trying  the  experi- 
ment of  abandoning  the  prize  system,  become 
discouraged,  and  have  returned  again  to  the  use 
of  prizes,  believing  them  essential  to  their  suc- 
cess. Thus  the  very  argument  which  shows  most 
clearly  their  pernicious  tendency,  is  made  a  reason 
for  continuing  them.  As  before  hinted,  the  prize 
scholars  in  our  academies,  and  even  our  colleges, 
are  seldom  distinguished  men  in  after-life, — a  fact 
that  speaks  conclusively  on  this  point.  But  it 
can  scarcely  be  necessary  to  spend  words  to  prove 
a  truth  almost  self-evident. 

VII.  By  the  prize  system,  the  influence  of  the 
good  example  of  some  of  the  best  pupils,  is  lost 
upon  the  school.  All  who  have  taught,  know  how 
important  this  influence  is  to  the  success  of  the 
school.     It  tells  with   resistless  power  upon  the 


174         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN  STUDY. 

"He  is  studying  for  the  prize."— Rewards,  not  necessary. 

other  scholars,  wherever  it  exists,  unless  some 
unworthy  motive  can  be  assigned  for  it.  But 
under  the  prize  system,  let  a  teacher  appeal  to 
the  example  of  his  best  scholars,  and  the  reply 
is,  "O,  yes,  he  behaves  well,  or  he  studies  dili- 
gently, but  he  is  trying  to  get  the  prized  With 
this  understanding,  his  example  becomes  power- 
less, unless,  indeed,  there  may  be  a  disposition  to 
be  unlike  him  in  every  thing.  It  is  believed  this 
is  a  consideration  of  considerable  importance. 

I  have  thus  assigned,  at  some  length,  the 
reasons  why  I  should  discountenance,  among  the 
incentives  of  the  school,  the  use  of  Prizes.  As  to 
the  use  of  "  Bewards^\  when  they  are  made  so 
numerous  that  every  one  who  is  really  deserving 
may  receive  one, — and  when  the  basis  of  their 
distribution  is  not  talent,  not  success  merely,  but 
good  intention  and  praiseworthy  effort, — I  have 
much  less  to  say.  As  expressions  of  the  teacher's 
interest  in  the  children,  and  of  his  approval  of 
their  well-doing,  they  may  serve  a  good  end. 
Perhaps  there  is  no  very  strong  objection  to 
them  in  principle ;  though  if  the  teacher  subjects 
himself  to  the  necessary  outlay  in  the  purchase 
of  them,  it  may  become  burdensome  to  him.  I 
may  add,  however,  that  /  do  not  thinh  reiuards 
are  necessary  to  the  teacher^s  success.  I  should 
prefer  to  do  without  them.  It  is  possible  to  pro- 
duce such  a  feeling  in  the  school-room,  that  the 
approving  conscience  of  the  child,  and  the  com- 
mendatory  smile    of   the    teacher,    shall   be    the 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         175 
Prizes  interfere  with  study.— Love  of  approbation. 

richest  of  all  rewards.  These  come  without  money 
and  without  price,  and  may  always  be  freely  and 
safely  bestowed,  wherever  there  is  a  good  inten- 
tion exhibited  by  the  child.  That  is  the  most 
healthy  state  of  things  where  these  are  most 
prized.  As  children  whose  parents  begin  early  to 
hire  them  to  do  their  duty,  are  seldom  ready 
afterward  to  render  their  cheerful  service  as  an 
act  of  filial  obligation,  whenever  the  pay  is  with- 
held,— so  children  at  school,  who  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  expect  a  reward,  seldom  pursue  their 
studies  as  cheerfully  when  that  expectation  is 
cut  off. 

SECTION    III.— PROPER    INCENTIVES. 

In  what  has  already  been  said,  it  has.  been 
more  than  hinted  that  there  are  higher  attributes 
than  emulation,  which  the  teacher  should  ad- 
dress, and  which,  if  he  is  successful  in  calling 
them  into  exercise,  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  in- 
sure the  proper  application  of  his  pupils  to  their 
studies.  They  have  the  merit,  moreover,  of  being 
safe.  They  do  not  unduly  stimulate  the  intel- 
lectual, at  the  expense  of  the  moral  faculties. 
Their  very  exercise  constitutes  a  healthy  growth 
of  the  moral  nature.  Some  of  these  I  may  briefly 
allude  to. 

I.    A  DESIRE   TO   GAIN    THE   APPROBATION   OF  THEIR 

PARENTS  AND  TEACHER.  The  lovc  of  approbation 
is  as  universal  in  the  human  mind  as  emulation. 
Not  one  in   a  thousand  can   be  found  who  does 


176         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
A  desirable  trait.—"  Twice  blest."— Desire  to  advance. 

not  possess  it.  Within  proper  limits,  it  is  a  de- 
sirable trait  in  human  character.  It  is,  to  be 
sure,  one  of  the  selfish  propensities ;  but  among 
them  all,  it  is  the  most  innocent.  Carried  to  an 
extreme,  it  would  lead  its  possessor  to  crave  the 
good  opinion  of  the  bad  as  well  as  of  the  good, 
and  to  become  an  obsequious  seeker  after  popu- 
larity. This,  of  course,  is  to  be  deprecated.  But 
there  can  be  no  danger  of  this  extreme,  as  long 
as  the  approbation  of  parents  and  teachers  is  the 
object  aimed  at.  It  implies  in  the  child  a  respect 
for  the  opinions  and  a  confidence  in  the  justice 
of  his  parents  and  teachers ;  and  hence  it  implies 
in  him  a  generous  desire  to  please,  as  a  condition 
of  being  commended  by  them. 

In  this  sense,  the  love  of  approbation  may  be 
appealed  to  by  the  teacher.  He  perhaps  need  not 
frequently  use  the  language  of  praise.  It  will 
generally  be  sufficient,  if  the  smile  of  approval 
beams  forth  in  his  countenance.  If  he  is  judi- 
cious as  well  as  just,  this  boon  soon  becomes  a 
precious  one  to  the  child.  It  is  a  reward,  more- 
over, which 

"is  twice  blest; 
It  blesseth  him  who  gives  and  him  who  takes." 

II.  A  DESIRE  OF  .ADVANCEMENT.  This  is  emula- 
tion in  its  good  sense.  It  leads  the  child,  as  before 
remarked,  to  compare  his  present  standing  and 
attainments  with  what  they  should  be,  and  to 
desire  to  surpass  himself.  This  is  ever  commend- 
able.   Man  was  made   for  progress ;    and  it  is  no 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         177 
Desire  to  be  useful.— Desire  to  do  right. 

unworthy  aspiration,  wlien  this  desire  fires  the 
3'outhful  breast.  The  teacher,  tlien,  may  appeal 
to  tliis  desire,  may  Ivindle  it  into  a  flame  even, 
witli  safety, — because  it  is  a  flame  that  warms 
witliout  consuming  that  on  which  it  feeds. 

III.  A  DESiEE  TO  BE  USEFUL.  The  good  tcachcr 
should  never  fail  to  impress  upon  the  child  that 
the  object  of  his  being  placed  on  earth,  was  that 
he  might  be  of  some  use  to  the  world  by  which 
he  is  surrounded.  "ISTo  man  liveth  to  himself, 
and  no  man  dieth  to  himself."  He  can  be  thus 
useful  by  storing  the  mind  with  knowledge  and 
the  heart  with  right  affections.  He  may  be  re- 
minded of  the  connection  betvv-een  his  present 
studies  and  the  pursuits  of  life  to  which  they 
may  be  applied.  Some  judicious  hint  at  the 
future  application  of  any  branch  is  always  a 
good  preparation  of  the  mind  to  pursue  it.  If 
there  is  a  definite  object  in  view,  there  will  always 
be  more  alacrity  in  the  labor  of  study ;  and  this 
may  be  made  to  influence  the  young  pupil  as  well 
as  the  more  advanced.  It  is  no  small  thing  for 
the  child  if  he  can  be  early  made  to  feel  that  he 
is  living  to  some  purpose. 

IV.  A  DESIRE  TO  DO  RIGHT.  This,  in  other 
words,  is  a  disposition  to  obey  conscience  by  con- 
forming to  the  will  of  God.  This  indeed  is  the 
highest  and  holiest  of  all  the  motives  to  human 
action.  In  its  fullest  sense  it  constitutes  the 
fundamental  principle  of  a  religious  character. 
The  teacher  should  most  assiduously  cultivate  in 


178         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 
Conscience  active  in  cMldliood. 

the  child  a  regard  for  this  principle.  God  has 
implanted  the  conscience  in  every  child  of  earth, 
that  it  should  early  be  made  use  of  to  regulate 
the  conduct.  That  teacher  is  either  grossly  igno- 
rant or  madly  perverse,  who  disregards  the  con- 
science, while  he  appeals  alone  to  the  selfishness 
of  the  young,  and  thus  practically  teaches  that 
moral  obligation  is  a  nullity ;  that  the  law  of  God 
—  so  beautifully  expounded  by  the  Saviour  — 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
m.ind,"  and  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself"  —  is  of  little  consequence;  and  that  the 
injunction  of  the  apostle  —  ""Whether  ye  eat  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God,"  is  as  good  as  obsolete. 

In  early  childhood,  the  conscience  is  most  act- 
ive. It  needs,  to  be  sure,  at  that  period,  to  be 
enlightened ;  but  if  the  teachings  of  Revelation 
are  made  plain  to  the  child,  he  seldom  disregards 
them.  The  teacher  has  at  this  period  very  much 
to  do,  as  I  have  before  said  in  the  chapter  on 
Responsibility  of  Teachers ;  and  he  can  not  neg- 
lect his  duty  without  the  most  aggravated  culpa- 
bility. The  point  I  urge  here,  is,  that  he  should 
use  these  motives  as  incentives  to  study.  The 
child  can  be  made  to  feel  that  he  owes  the  most 
diligent  efforts  for  improvement  to  his  teacher, 
who  daily  labors  for  his  improvement;  to  his 
parents,  who  have  kindly  supplied  his  wants,  and 
have  provided  the  means  for  his  cultivation ;   to 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         179 
Sense  of  obligation. 

society,  whose  prmleges  he  may  enjoy,  and  to 
which  he  is  bound  to  make  a  return  by  becoming 
an  intelUgent  and  useful  member  of  it ;  to  him- 
self, as  a  rational  and  immortal  being,  capable  of 
unbounded  enjoyment  or  untold  misery,  just  in 
proportion  as  he  prepares  himself  for  either ;  and, 
above  all,  to  his  Creator,  by  whose  bounty  he 
lives,  surrounded  with  friends  and  blessed  with 
opportunities,  which  are  denied  to  millions  of  his 
fellow-beings, — by  whose  gracious  providence  he 
has  been  endowed  with  faculties  and  capabilities 
making  him  but  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and 
which  he  is  bound  to  cultivate  for  usefulness  and 
for  heaven, — by  whose  mercy  he  has  been  sup- 
plied, as  millions  have  not,  with  the  word  of  God, 
to  guide  his  mind  to  things  above,  and  with  the 
influences  of  Christian  society,  to  cheer  him  in 
his  path  to  heaven ; — above  all,  I  repeat,  should 
the  child  be  taught  to  feel  that  he  owes  to  God 
his  best  efforts  to  make  the  most  of  all  his  powers 
for  time  and  eternity.  If  this  can  be  done  (and 
I  believe  to  a  great  extent  it  can  be  done),  there 
will  be  no  need  of  a  resort  to  those  questionable 
incentives  found  in  exciting  children  to  outstrip 
their  fellows  by  prizes  and  rewards ;  while  in  this 
very  process,  the  foundation  of  a  good  moral 
training  will  be  laid,  without  which  the  perfect 
structure  of  a  noble  character  can  never  be  reared 
in  later  life. 

To  the  motives  already  alluded  to,  if  it  be  nec- 
essary to  add  another,  I  would  urge. 


180        EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 

Tlie  pleasure  of  acquisition.— Acquirements  of  tliree  years. 

V.  The  pleasure  of  acquisition.  This  is  often 
underrated  by  teachers.  Our  Creator  has  not 
more  universally  bestowed  a  natural  appetite  for 
the  food  which  is  necessary  for  the  growth  of 
the  body,  than  he  has  a  mental  longing  for  the 
food  of  the  mind ;  and  as  he  has  superadded  a 
sensation  of  pleasure  to  the  necessary  act  of  eat- 
ing, so  he  has  made  it  a  law  of  the  mind,  to  ex- 
perience its  highest  delight  while  in  the  act  of 
receiving  the  mental  aliment.  Whoever  has  ob- 
served childhood  with  an  attentive  eye,  must 
have  been  impressed  with  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
this  arrangement.  How  much  the  child  acquires 
within  the  first  three  years  after  its  birth  !  He 
learns  a  difficult  language  with  more  precision 
than  a  well-edilcated  adult  foreigner  could  learn 
it  in  the  same  time ;  yet  language  is  not  his  only 
or  his  chief  study.  During  these  same  three 
years,  he  makes  surprising  advances  in  general 
knowledge.  He  seeks  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  all  the  physical  objects  by  which  he  is  sur- 
rounded. The  size,  form,  color,  weight,  tempera- 
ture, and  use  of  each  are  investigated  by  the  test 
of  his  own  senses,  or  ascertained  by  innumerable 
inquiries.  His  ideas  of  height  and  distance,  of 
light  and  heat,  of  motion  and  velocity,  of  cause 
and  effect,  are  all  well  defined.  He  has  made  no 
mean  attainments  in  morals.  He  comprehends 
the  law  of  right  and  wrong,  so  that  his  decisions 
may  well  put  to  the  blush  his  superiors  in  age ; 
and,  unless  grossly  neglected,  he  has  learned  the 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY.         181 
Mr.  Mann  quoted.— The  blind  and  the  dumb. 

duty  of  obedience  to  parents  and  reverence  toward 
God.  Now,  all  this  amazing  progress  has  been 
made,  because  of  the  irrepressible  curiosity  with 
which  God  has  endowed  him,  and  the  unspeaka- 
ble delight  he  experiences  in  acquiring  the  knowl- 
edge which  gratifies  it. 

All  must  have  noticed  the  delight  with  which 
the  child  grasps  a  new  idea ;  but  few  have  been 
able  so  eloquently  to  describe  it,  as  it  is  done  by 
Mr.  Mann.  "Mark  a  child,"  says  he,  "when  a 
clear,  well-defined,  vivid  conception  seizes  it.  The 
whole  nervous  tissue  vibrates.  Every  muscle 
leaps.  Every  joint  plays.  The  face  becomes  au- 
roral. The  spirit  flashes  through  the  body  like 
lightning  through  a  cloud." 

"Observe,  too,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  and  the 
dumb.  So  strong  is  their  inborn  desire  for  knowl- 
edge,— such  are  the  amazing  attractive  forces  of 
their  minds  for  it,  that  although  the  natural  in- 
lets, the  eye  and  the  ear,  are  closed,  yet  they  will 
draw  it  inward,  through  the  solid  walls  and  en- 
casements of  the  body.  If  the  eye  be  curtained 
with  darkness,  it  will  enter  through  the  ear.  If 
the  ear  be  closed  in  silence,  it  will  ascend  along 
the  nerves  of  touch.  Every  new  idea  that  enters 
into  the  presence  of  the  sovereign  mind,  carries 
offerings  of  delight  with  it,  to  make  its  coming 
welcome.  Indeed,  our  Maker  created  us  in  blank 
ignorance,  for  the  very  purpose  of  giving  us  the 
boundless,  endless  pleasure  of  learning  new 
things." 


182         EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 

The  pleasure  abates  in  after  life.— Mind  may  be  surfeited. 

It  is,  of  course,  not  to  be  expected  that  the 
same  degree  of  pleasure  will  attend  the  learner 
in  every  acquisition,  as  the  novelty .  diminishes 
and  as  he  advances  in  age.  The  bodily  appetite 
is  less  keen  in  after  life  than  in  childhood,  so 
that  the  adult  may  never  realize  again  to  the 
full  extent,  the  delicious  flavors  which  regaled 
bim  in  his  earliest  years.  Still  there  will  ever  be 
a  delight  in  acquisition.  And  to  carry  our  illus- 
tration a  little  further, — as  the  child  is  soonest 
cloyed  whose  stomach  is  surfeited  with  dainties 
and  stimulated  with  condiments  and  pampered 
with  sweetmeats,  till  his  taste  has  lost  its  acu- 
men, and  digestion  becomes  a  burden — so  the 
mental  appetite  is  soonest  destroyed,  when,  under 
the  unskillful  teacher,  it  is  overloaded  with  what 
it  can  neither  digest  nor  disgorge.  The  mind 
may  be  surfeited  ;  and  then  no  wonder  if  it  loathes 
even  the  wholesome  aliment.  Artificial  stimu- 
lants, in  the  shape  of  prizes,  and  honors,  and 
flattery,  and  fear,  and  shame,  may  have  impaired 
its  functions,  so  that  it  ceases  to  act  except  under 
their  excitement.  But  all  must  see  that  these 
are  unnatural  conditions,  superinduced  by  erro- 
neous treatment.  There  is  still  a  delight  in 
acquisition,  just  as  soon  as  the  faculties  are 
aroused  to  the  effort ;  and  the  skillful  teacher 
will  strive  to  wake  up  the  tnind  to  find  this  de- 
light,— and  if  he  understands  his  work,  he  will 
scarcely  need  a  stronger  incentive.  If  he  under- 
stands the  secret  of  giving  just  so  much  instruc- 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY,         183 
A  desire  to  know.— Instance  of  God's  wisdom  and  goodness. 

tion  as  to  excite  the  learner's  curiosity,  and  then 
to  Leave  him  to  discover  and  acquire  for  himself, 
he  will  have  no  necessity  to  use  any  other  means 
as  stimulants  to  exertion. 

To  this  might  be  added  that  irrepressible 
curiosity,  that  all-pervading  desire  to  know,  which 
is  found  in  the  mind  of  every  child.  The  mind, 
as  if  conscious  of  its  high  destiny,  instinctively 
spreads  its  unfledged  wings  in  pursuit  of  knowl- 
edge. This,  with  some  children,  is  an  all-suffi- 
cient stimulant  to  the  most  vigorous  exertion. 
To  this  the  teacher  may  safely  appeal.  Indeed, 
it  is  a  convincing  proof  of  the  wisdom  as  well  as 
the  goodness  of  God,  that  this  desire  to  Tcnoiu,  as 
well  as  the  delight  of  acquisition,  are  the  most 
active  at  that  early  period  of  childhood,  when  a 
just  appreciation  of  the  utility  of  knowledge,  and 
the  higher  motives  already  detailed,  could  scarcely 
And  a  lodgment  in  the  tender  mind.  It  seems 
to  be,  therefore,  an  indisputable  dictate  of  our 
very  nature,  that  both  these  principles  should  be 
early  employed  as  incentives. 

If,  then,  the  desire  of  the  approval  of  parents 
and  teachers,  —  the  desire  of  advanceinent,  —  the 
desire  to  he  useful, — and  the  desire  to  do  right,  can 
be  superadded  to  the  natural  love  in  the  child  for 
acquisition,  and  a  natural  desire  to  know,  there 
will,  as  I  bejieve,  be  but  little  occasion  to  look 
further  for  incentives  to  exertion  in  the  pupil ; 
and  I  may  venture  to  add,  as  a  scholium  to  what 
has  already  been  said,  that  the  teacher  who  was 


184  EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY. 

"Wise  instruction  will  aim  at  making  learning  pleasurable. 

not  yet  learned  to  call  into  exercise  these  higher 
motives,  and  to  rely  for  success  mainly  upon 
them,  and  who  dares  not  abandon  the  system  of 
exciting  stimulants,  for  fear  of  a  failure,  has  yet 
"much  to  learn  as  a  true  educator  of  the  young. 
Wise  instruction  will  certainly  aim  at  making 
the  process  of  learning  pleasurable  ;  but  it  is  easy 
to  apply  this  test  too  rigorously.  When  pupils 
manifest  a  distaste  for  any  kind  of  learning,  it  is 
usual  to  assume  either  that  the  instruction  is 
unskillful,  or  that  the  knowledge  presented  is  not 
adapted  to  the  pupil's  present  needs ;  but  there 
is  often  a  deeper  and  more  significant  indication. 
The  pupil  may  have  a  predisposition  to  certain 
modes  of  mental  activity,  and  the  exercise  of 
these  will  always  be  pleasurable ;  but  there  may 
be  other  modes  of  mental  activity  that  have  not 
yet  been  established,  and  the  exercise  of  these 
will  at  first  be  painful.  As  one  dominant  aim 
of  education  should  be  symmetry,  these  dormant 
modes  of  activity  should  be  stimulated,  and  though 
this  stimulation  may  be  unpleasant,  it  should  be 
kept  up  till  habit  has  made  the  exercise  agree- 
able. Under  the  same  conditions  of  age,  sex,  and 
quality  of  instruction,  some  pupils  will  find  a  de- 
light in  mathematical  study,  while  to  others  it  it 
a  repulsive  drudgery,  the  difference  being  due  to 
the  cause  just  assigned.  That  a  certain  study  is 
agreeable,  is  no  reason  in  itself  why  it  should  be 
pursued ;  nor  is  the  fact  that  another  study  is 
disagreeable,  a  reason  in  itself  why  it  should  not 


EXCITING     INTEREST     IN     STUDY,         185 
The  best  teachers  sometimes  miss  their  ideal. 

be  pursued.  But  in  all  cases  the  aim  of  the 
teacher  should  doubtless  be  to  make  study  pleasur- 
able, to  inspire  what  Mr.  Bain  has  happily  called 
"intrinsic  charm";  but  the  best  of  teachers  will 
sometimes  fall  short  of  this  ideal  through  no 
fault  of  their  own. 


CHAPTER    X. 

SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

IT  is  not  necessary  that  any  space  in  this  work 
should  be  occupied  in  speaking  of  the  im- 
portance of  order  in  our  schools.  Every  body  who 
has  written  or  spoken  on  this  subject,  has  con- 
ceded the  necessity  of  obedience  on  the  part  of 
the  pupil.  "Order  is  heaven's  first  law";  and 
it  is  scarcely  more  essential  to  the  harmony  of 
heaven,  than  it  is  to  the  happiness  and  success 
of  the  school. 

If  such  be  the  necessity  of  order  in  the  school, 
then  the  ability  to  secure  and  maintain  it,  is  no 
mean  part  of  the  qualification  of  the  good  teacher. 
It  is  lamentable  that  so  many  fail  in  this  partic- 
ular ;  and  yet  this  frequent  failure  can  in  most 
cases  be  traced  to  some  defect  in  the  constitu- 
tional temperament,  or  some  deficiency  in  the 
mental  or  moral  culture  of  the  teacher  himself. 
It  shall  be  my  first  object,  then,  to  point  out 
lome  of  the 

SECTION    I.— REQUISITES    IN    THE    TEACHER   FOR    GOOD 
GOVERNMENT. 

I.  Self-government.  It  has  frequently  been 
<^aid  that  no  man   can  govern  others  till  he  has 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  187 

Angry  passions. — Manner. — Levity  and  moroseness. 

learned  to  govern  himself.  I  have  no  doubt  of 
the  truth  of  this.  If  an  individual  is  not  perfectly- 
self-possessed,  his  decisions  must  fail  to  command 
respect.  The  self-government  of  the  teachei 
should  be  complete,  in  the  following  particulars; 

1.  As  to  the  passion  of  anger.  The  exhibition 
of  anger  always  detracts  from  the  Aveight  of 
authority.  A  man  under  its  influence  is  not 
capable  of  doing  strict  justice  to  his  pupils.  Before 
entering  upon  teaching,  therefore,  a  man  should 
somehow  obtain  the  mastery  over  his  temper,  so 
that  under  any  provocation  he  can  control  it. 
He  should  consider  that  in  school  his  patience 
will  often  be  severely  tried.  He  should  not  expect, 
indeed,  that  the  current  of  affairs  in  school  will 
for  a  single  day  run  perfectly  smooth.  He  should, 
therefore,  prepare  for  the  worst,  and  firmly  resolve 
that  whatever  unpleasant  thing  shall  occur,  it 
shall  not  take  him  entirely  by  surprise.  Such 
forethought  will  give  him  self-command.  If,  how- 
ever, from  his  past  experience,  and  from  the 
nature  of  his  temperament,  he  is  satisfied  he  can 
not  exercise  this  self-control,  he  may  be  assured 
he  is  the  wrong  man  to  engage  in  teaching.  A 
man  who  has  not  acquired  thorough  ascendency 
over  his  own  passions,  is  an  unsafe  man  to  be 
intrusted  with  the  government  of  children. 

2.  As  to  levity  and  moroseness  of  manner. 
Either  extreme  is  to  be  avoided.  There  are  some 
teachers  who  exhibit  such  a  frivolity  in  all  their 
intercourse  with  their  pupils,  that  they  can  never 


188  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Ridiculous  assumption  of  smartness.— Mr.  Abbot's  case. 

cominaiid  them  with  authority,  or  gain  their 
cordial  respect.  This  is  a  grievous  fault ;  and 
the  teacher  should  at  once  find  an  antidote  for 
it,  by  serious  reflection  upon  the  responsibility  of 
his  position.  If  this  will  not  cure  it,  nothing  else 
can. 

There  are  others  who  are  characterized  by  a 
perpetual  peevishness,  so  that  a  pleasant  word 
from  them  is  indeed  a  strange  thing.  They  can 
never  expect  to  gain  the  affection  of  their  pu- 
pils ;  and  without  securing  the  love  of  children, 
the  government  of  them  will  never  be  of  the 
right  kind.  This  habit  of  snappishness  should  be 
broken  up  at  once. 

There  are  some  very  young  teachers,  who 
sometimes  assume  one  or  the  other  of  these  pe- 
culiar modes  of  address,  or  perhaps  both,  to  be 
used  alternately, — fancying  that  they  will  gain 
popularity  by  the  one,  or  give  themselves  greater 
authority  by  the  other.  This  is  a  very  mistaken 
notion ;  for  children  have  more  discernment  than 
most  men  give  them  credit  for,  and  they  usually 
see  directly  through  such  a  flimsy  disguise, — and 
the  teacher  becomes  ridiculous  rather  than  great 
in  their  estimation,  whenever  he  takes  any  such 
false  position. 

Mr.  Abbott,  in  his  "Teacher,"  states  a  fact 
which  well  illustrates  this  point.  "  Many  years 
ago,"  says  he,  "when  I  was  a  child,  the  teacher 
uf  the  school  where  my  early  studies  were  per- 
formed, closed  his  connection  with  the  establish- 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  189 

"Take  off  your  hats."— Treatment  of  peculiar  pupils. 

merit ;  and,  after  a  short  vacation,  another  was 
expected.  On  the  appointed  day  the  boys  began 
to  collect,  some  from  curiosity,  at  an  early  hour, 
and  many  speculations  were  started  as  to  the 
3haracter  of  the  new  instructor.  We  were  stand- 
ing near  a  table  with  our  hats  on, — and  our  posi- 
tion and  the  exact  appearance  of  the  group  is 
indelibly  fixed  on  my  memory, — when  a  small 
and  youthful-looking  man  entered  the  room  and 
walked  up  toward  us.  Supposing  him  to  be  some 
stranger,  or,  rather,  not  making  any  supposition 
at  all,  we  stood  looking  at  him  as  he  approached, 
and  were  thunderstruck  at  hearing  him  accost  us 
with  a  stern  voice  and  sterner  brow  : — '  Take  off 
your  hats !  Take  off  j^our  hats,  and  go  to  your 
seats.'  The  conviction  immediately  rushed  upon 
our  minds  that  this  must  be  the  new  teacher.  The 
first  emotion  was  that  of  surprise,  and  the  second 
was  that  of  the  ludicrous ;  though  I  believe  we 
contrived  to  smother  the  laugh  until  we  got  out 
into  the  open  air." 

The  true  rule  is  to  act  the  part  which  is  agree- 
able to  nature.  The  teacher  having  gained  the 
self-command  just  insisted  upon,  and  having  in 
him  the  spirit  of  kindness  and  a  desire  to  be 
useful,  should  assume  nothing  unnatural  for  ef- 
fect. His  manner  should  be  truly  dignified,  but 
courteous. 

3.  As  to  his  treatment  of  those  pupils  that  are 
marked  by  some  peculiarity.  There  will  usually 
be  some  pupils  who  are  very  backward,  and  per- 


190  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

In  j  ustice.— Self -reliance. 

haps  very  dull, — or  who  may  have  some  physical 
defect,  or  some  mental  eccentricity.  The  teacher 
should  be  able  to  govern  himself  in  all  his  remarks 
concerning  such  pupils.  He  should  avoid  all  allu- 
sion to  such  singularities  before  the  school ;  and 
it  is  the  height  of  injustice — I  was  about  to  say, 
of  malevolence — for  him  ever  to  use  those  low 
and  degrading  epithets  so  often  found  upon  the 
teacher's  tongue, — such  as  dunce,  thickskull,  and 
the  like.  Is  it  not  misfortune  enough  for  a  child 
to  be  backward  or  dull,  without  having  the  pain 
and  mortification  increased  by  the  cruelty  of  an 
unfeeling  teacher?  The  teacher  should  take  a 
special  interest  in  such  children ;  he  should  en- 
deavor to  enter  into  the  feelings  of  their  parents, 
and  to  treat  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  encourage 
rather  than  crush  them. 

II.    A     CONFIDENCE     IN    HIS     ABILITY    TO     GOVERN, 

We  can  generally  do  what  we  firmly  believe  we 
can  do.*  At  any  rate,  a  man  is  more  likely  to 
succeed  in  any  enterprise,  when  he  has  the  feel- 
ing of  self-reliance.  The  teacher,  by  reflection 
upon  the  importance  of  good  government  to  his 
success,  and  by  a  careful  study  of  the  means  to 
be  employed  and  the  motives  to  be  presented, 
should  be  able  to  bring  himself  to  the  determina- 
tion to  have  good  order  in  his  school,  and  so 
fully  to  believe  he  can  have  it,  that  his  pupils 
shall  detect  no  misgivings  in  him  on  this  point. 
Whenever  they  discover  that  he   has  doubts  of 

♦  Possurd  quia  posse  videntur. — Vibgil. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  191 

Views  of  government.— Not  tyranny. 

his  success  in  governing,  they  will  be  far  more 
ready  to  put  his  skill  to  the  test.  It  would  be 
better  that  a  young  teacher  should  decline  to 
take  a  difficult  school,  rather  than  enter  it  with- 
out the  full  belief  of  his  ability  to  succeed.  I 
would  not  wish  to  be  understood  by  these  re- 
marks to  be  encouraging  an  unreasonable  and 
hlind  presumption.  A  confidence  in  one's  ability 
should  be  founded  upon  a  reasonable  estimate  of 
his  powers,  compared  with  the  difficulties  to  be 
overcome.  What  I  recommend  is,  that  the  teacher 
should  carefully  weigh  the  difficulties,  and  can- 
didly judge  of  his  own  resources,  and  then  un- 
dertake nothing  which  he  thinks  is  beyond 
his  ability.  If,  after  this,  he  believes  he  can  suc- 
ceed, other  things  being  equal,  success  is  almost 
certain. 

III.  Just  views  of  government.  1.  It  is  not 
tyranny,  exercised  to  please  the  one  who  governs, 
or  to  promote  his  own  convenience.  The  despot 
commands  for  the  sake  of  being  obeyed.  But 
government  in  its  proper  sense,  is  an  arrange- 
ment for  the  general  good, — for  the  benefit  of  the 
governed  as  well  as  of  the  ruler.  That  is  not 
good  government  which  seeks  any  other  object. 
The  teacher  should  so  view  the  matter ;  and  in 
establishing  any  regulations  in  school,  he  should 
always  inquire  whether  they  are  suggested  by  a 
selfish  regard  to  his  own  ease,  or  whether  they 
spring  from  a  sincere  and  disinterested  wish  to 
promote  the  improvement  of  the  school. 


192  SCHOOL     GOVEENMENT. 

Uniformity.— Equality.— No  aristocracy  ra  school. 

2.  He  should  see  the  necessity  of  making  the 
government  uniform ;  that  is,  the  same  from  day 
to  day.  If  he  punishes  to-day  what  he  tolerates 
to-morrow,  he  cannot  expect  the  cordial  respect 
of  his  pupils.  Some  teachers,  not  having  learned 
the  art  of  self-government,  take  counsel  too  much 
of  their  own  feelings.  To-day  they  are  in  good 
health  and  spirits,  and  their  faces  are  clothed  in 
sunshine;  they  can  smile  at  any  thing.  To- 
morrow, suffering  under  bad  digestion,  or  the 
Avant  of  exercise,  or  the  want  of  sleep,  the  thun- 
der-storm hovers  about  their  brow,  ready  to  burst 
upon  the  first  offender.  Woe  to  the  luckless  wight 
who  does  not  seasonably  discover  this  change  in 
the  condition  of  the  weather.  A  teacher  can  not 
long  respect  himself  who  is  thus  capricious ;  he 
may  also  be  sure  that  his  school  will  not  long 
respect  him. 

3.  He  should  so  view  government  as  to  make 
it  equal;  that  is,  equal  in  its  application  to  the 
whole  school, — the  large  as  well  as  small  scholars, 
the  males  as  well  as  females.  This  is  often  a 
great  fault  with  teachers.  They  raise  up  a  sort 
of  aristocracy  in  their  schools,  a  privileged  class, 
a  miniature  nobility.  They  will  insist  that  the 
little  boj^s  and  girls  shall  abstain  from  certain 
practices, — whispering,  for  instance, — and  most 
promptly  punish  the  offenders,  while  they  toler- 
ate the  same  thing  among  the  larger  pupils. 
This  is  cowardly  in  itself,  and  as  impolitic  as  it 
is  cowardly.    The  teacher  makes  a  great  mistake. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  193 

No  partiality.— "Views  of  the  governed.— Keason. 

who  begins  his  government  with  the  small  chil- 
dren, in  the  hope  of  frightening  the  larger  ones 
into  obedience.  He  should  have  the  manliness 
and  the  justice  to  begin  with  the  larger  pupils ; 
the  smaller  ones  never  resist,  when  authority  is 
established  with  those  above  them.  Besides  this, 
the  very  class  who  are  thus  indulged,  are  the 
very  ones  who  soonest  despise,  and  justly  too, 
the  authority  of  the  teacher. 

He  should  make  his  government  impartial  in 
every  respect.  He  should  have  no  favorites — no 
preferences,  based  upon  the  outward  circum- 
stances of  the  child,  his  family,  or  his  personal 
attractions  and  the  like.  The  rich  and  the  poor 
should  be  alike  to  the  teacher.  He  should  remem- 
ber that  each  child  has  a  soul ;  and  it  is  with 
the  soul,  and  not  with  the  wealth  of  this  world, 
that  he  has  to  do.  He  should  remember  that  a 
gem,  as  bright  as  a  sunbeam,  is  often  concealed 
under  a  rough  exterior.  It  should  be  his  work, 
nay  his  delight — to  bring  out  this  gem  from  its 
hiding-place,  and  apply  to  it  the  polish  of  a 
"workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed." 

IV.  Just  views  of  the  Governed.  Notwith- 
standing the  imperfection  of  human  nature,  as 
developed  in  the  young,  they  have  some  redeem- 
ing qualities.  They  are  intelligent  and  reason- 
able beings.  They  have  more  or  less  love  of 
approbation ;  they  have  affection,  and,  above  all, 
they  have  a  moral  sense.  All  these  qualities  are 
considerably    developed    before    they    enter    the 


194  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Aifection.— Conscience.— Decision.— Finnness. 

school.  The  teacher  should  remeraber  this,  and 
prepare  himself  to  address,  as  far  as  may  be,  all 
these.  Love  of  approhation,  as  we  have  before 
seen,  is  not  an  unworthy  motive  to  be  addressed, 
and  it  is  well  known  that  many  children  are 
very  easily  controlled  by  it.  It  is  not  the  highest 
m.otive,  to  be  sure,  nor  is  it  the  lowest.  The 
affection  for  a  teacher,  which  many  children 
will  exercise,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  instru- 
mentalities in  governing  them  with  ease.  The 
conscience,  early  trained,  is  all-powerful,  I  allude 
to  these  principles  of  action  once  more,  in  order 
to  say  that  the  peculiar  character  of  each  should 
be  well  studied  by  the  teacher.  He  should 
understand  the  human  mind  so  well,  as  to  be 
able  to  find  the  avenues  to  these  better  parts  of 
the  child's  nature,  remembering  that  whenever 
several  ways  of  doing  the  same  thing,  are  pre- 
sented, it  is  always  wise  to  choose  the  best. 

V.  Decision  and  Firmness.  By  decision,  I 
mean  a  readiness  to  determine  and  to  act  in  any 
event,  just  as  duty  seems  to  dictate ;  a  willing- 
ness to  take  the  responsibility  just  as  soon  as 
the  way  is  plain.  By  firmness  is  meant  that 
fixedness  of  purpose  which  resolutely  carries  out 
a  righteous  decision.  Both  of  these  qualities  are 
essential  to  good  government  in  the  teacher. 
Much  time  is  often  lost  by  a  teacher's  vacillating 
when  action  is  more  important.  Besides,  if  the 
pupils  discover  that  the  teacher  hesitates,  and 
dreads  to  take  any  responsibility,  they  very  soon 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  195 

The  unjiist  judge.— A  practical  example. 

lose  their  respect  for  him.  I  would  not  urge 
that  a  teacher  should  act  hastily.  He  never 
should  decide  till  he  is  confident  he  decides 
right :  any  delay  is  better  than  hasty  error.  But 
his  delay,  in  all  matters  of  government  should 
have  reference  to  a  true  knowledge  of  his  duty  ; 
when  that  is  clearly  known,  he  should  be  decided. 
Many  teachers  suffer  in  their  government,  for 
want  of  firmness.  They  act  upon  the  principle 
of  personal  convenience,  as  did  the  unjust  judge 
mentioned  in  the  parable.  "And  he  would  not 
for  a  while :  but  afterward  he  said  within  him- 
self. Though  I  fear  not  God  nor  regard  man ; 
yet  because  this  ividoiu  trouMeth  me,  I  will 
avenge  her,  lest  by  her  continual  coming  she 
weary  7??e."  How  often  we  hear  something  like 
this  in  the  school-room.  "  May  I  go  and  drink  "  ? 
— says  James,  in  a  peculiarly  imploring  tone. 
"No,"  says  the  teacher,  promptly,  and  evidently 
without  any  reflection  as  to  the  decision  he  has 
made.  James  very  composedly  sits  down,  eyeing 
the  countenance  of  the  teacher  expressively,  as 
much  as  to  say,  ''I'll  try  you  again  soon." 
Before  long  he  observes  the  teacher  quite  busy 
with  a  class,  and  he  again  pops  the  question : 
"May  I  go  and  drink"?  Stung  at  the  moment 
with  impatience  at  the  interruption,  the  teacher 
answers  instantly  and  emphatically,  "No,  no, 
James,  sit  down."  James  still  watches  his  teach- 
er's expression,  and  cannot  discover  there  any 
signs  of  a   mind  seeking  the  path  of  duty,  and 


196  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

•     Philosophizing.— Conclusion.— A  better  way. 

he  silently  thinks  to  himself,  "The  third  time 
never  fails."  So,  after  a  minute  or  two,  when 
the  teacher  is  somewhat  puzzled  with  a  knotty 
question,  and  is  on  the  point  of  nibbling  a  pen 
besides, — '^ May  I  go  and  drink,  sir?''  again 
rings  upon  the  teacher's  ear.  "  Yes,  yes,  yes !  do 
go  along ;  /  suppose  you'll  beep  asking  till  you 
get  itr 

Now  James  goes  to  drink,  and  then  returns 
to  philosophize  upon  this  matter,  perhaps  as  fol- 
lows : — "  I  don't  believe  he  stopped  to  think 
whether  I  needed  drink  or  not ;  therefore,  here- 
after I  shall  never  believe  he  really  means  no, 
when  he  says  it.  He  acts  without  thought.  I 
have  also  found  that  if  I  will  but  ask  several 
times,  I  shall  get  it.  So  I  shall  know  how  to 
proceed  next  time." — I  do  not  know  that  any 
child  would  express  this  thought  in  so  many 
words ;  but  the  impression  upon  his  mind  is 
none  the  less  distinct. 

Now  the  teacher  should  carefully  consider  the 
question  addressed  to  him.  How  long  since  this 
child  had  water?  Can  it  be  necessary  for  him 
to  drink  so  often  ?  Then  let  the  answer  be  given 
mildly,  but  decidedly — "No,  James."  The  very 
manner,  quite  likely,  will  settle  the  question,  so 
that  James  will  not  ask  again.  The  answer  once 
given  should  be  firmly  adhered  to.  It  would 
even  be  better  that  James  should  suffer  for  the 
want  of  water,  than  for  the  want  of  confidence  in 
his  teacher's  firmness.     In  this  way  the  teacher 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  197 

Moral  and  religious  principle.— First  impressions. 

■would  establish  his  word  with  the  school  in  a 
very  few  days ;  and  his  pupils  would  soon  learn 
that  with  him  "no  means  no,"  and  "yes  means 
yes " — a  matter  of  no  small  importance  to  the 
teacher  of  a  school. 

VI.  Deep  Moral  Principle.  The  teacher 
should  ever  be  a  conscientious  man  ;  and  in 
nothing  is  this  more  necessary  than  in  the  exer- 
cise of  good  government.  In  this  matter  the 
teacher  can  never  respect  himself  when  he  acts 
from  caprice  or  selfishness.  His  inquiry  should 
be,  What  is  right  ?  What  is  justice — justice  to 
my  pupils — to  myself?  And  if  he  could  add  to 
moral  obligation  the  high  sanctions  of  religious 
principle,  and  could  habitually  and  sincerely  turn 
his  thoughts  to  his  Maker,  with  the  heartfelt 
inquiry — What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? — then 
he  would  seldom  err  in  the  discharge  of  this 
trust.  His  pupils,  seeing  that  he  acted  from 
fixed  and  deep  principle,  would  respect  his  hon- 
esty, even  if  he  should  cross  their  desires. 

Having  now  dwelt  at  some  length  upon  the 
requisites  in  the  teacher  for  good  government,  I 
shall  next  proceed  to  present  some  of  the 

section  ii.— means  of  securing  good  order. 

1.  Be  careful  as  to  the  first  impression  you 
MAKE.  It  is  an  old  proverb,  that  "what  is  well 
begun  is  half  done."  This  holds  true  in  school- 
keeping,  and  particularly  in  school   government. 


198  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Respect  precedes  attachment.— The  rough  and  the  gentle  way. 

The  young  study  character  very  speedily  and 
very  accurately.  Perhaps  no  one  pupil  could 
express  in  "words  an  exact  estimate  of  a  teacher's 
character  after  a  week's  acquaintance ;  but  yet 
the  whole  school  has  received  an  impression 
which  is  not  far  from  the  truth.  A  teacher, 
then,  is  very  unwise  who  attempts  to  assume  to 
be  any  thing  which  he  is  not.  He  should  ever 
be  frank ;  and  in  commencing  a  school  ht;  should 
begin  as  he  can  hold  out.  Any  assumption  of 
an  authoritative  tone  is  especially  ill-judged. 
The  pupils  at  once  put  themselves  in  an  attitude 
of  resistance,  when  this  is  perceived  by  them. 

A  teacher  should  ever  remember  that  among 
children — however  it  may  be  among  adults — 
respect  always  precedes  attachment.  If  he  would 
gain  the  love  of  the  children,  he  must  first  be 
worthy  of  their  respect.  He  should  therefore  act 
deliberately,  and  always  conscientiously.  He 
should  be  firm,  but  never  petulant.  It  is  very 
important  at  the  outset  that  he  should  be  truly 
courteous  and  affable.  It  is  much  wiser  to  request 
than  to  command,  at  least  until  the  request  has 
been  disregarded.  There  are  usually  two  ways 
of  doing  a  thing, — a  gentle  and  a  rough  way. 
"John,  go  and  shut  that  door,"  in  a  gruff  tone, 
is  one  way  to  have  a  door  closed,  John  will 
undoubtedly  go  and  shut  the  door — perhaps  with 
a  slam^ — ^but  he  will  not  thank  the  teacher  for 
the  rough  tones  used  in  commanding  it.  Now  it 
costs  no  more  time  or  breath   to  say,  "John,  I'll 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  199 

Avoid  tlie  suspicious  spirit. — A  bad  boy  saved. 

thank  you  if  you  will  shut  that  door."  Most 
cheerfully  will  John  comply  with  the  request, 
and  he  is  grateful  that  he  has  heard  these  tones 
of  kindness.  If  he  could  but  know  the  teacher's 
wishes  afterward,  he  would  gladly  perform  them 
unasked.  I  would  by  no  means  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  fawning  tone  of  the  sycophant, 
by  the  teacher.  He  should  be  manly  and  digni- 
fied ;  but  the  language  of  that  courtesy  which 
springs  from  real  kindness,  and  which  ever 
becomes  the  gentleman,  is  always  the  most  suit- 
able as  well  as  most  expedient  for  him. 

II.  Avoid  exhibiting  or  entertaining  a  suspi- 
cious SPIRIT.  It  is  a  maxim  of  law,  that  one 
charged  with  crime  is  always  to  be  presumed 
innocent,  until  proved  guilty.  This  should  be  a 
maxim  with  the  teacher  who  would  govern  well. 
There  is  no  more  direct  way  of  making  a  school 
vicious,  than  by  showing  them  that  you  suspect 
they  are  so.  A  good  reputation  is  dear  to  all  ; 
and  even  a  bad  boy  will  be  restrained  from 
wicked  acts  as  long  as  he  thinks  you  give  him 
credit  for  good  intentions.  But  if  he  finds  that 
he  has  lost  your  good  opinion,  he  feels  that  he 
has  nothing  further  to  lose  by  being  as  bad  as 
you  suspect  him  to  be.  A  teacher  is  wise,  there- 
fore, if  he  tries  to  see  something  good  even  in 
a  vicious  pupil.  It  may  be,  as  it  often  has  been, 
the  means  of  saving  such  a  pupil.  I  have  known 
a  very  depraved  boy  entirely  reformed  in  school, 
by  his  teacher's  letting  him  know  that  he  had 


200  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Token  of  confidence.— Employment. 

noticed  some  good  traits  in  his  character.  He 
afterward  told  his  teacher  that  "he  had  been  so 
often  suspected  to  be  a  villain,  that  he  had  almost 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  be  one ; 
but  that,  when  he  found  one  man  who  could  do 
him  the  justice  to  give  him  credit  for  a  few 
good  feelings — (for  he  knew  he  had  them) — he 
at  once  determined  to  show  that  man  that  his 
confidence  had  not  been  misplaced ;  and  that  he 
would  sooner  die  than  knowingly  offend  the  only- 
person  who  ever  had  understood  him." 

It  is  wise  sometimes,  not  only  to  withhold  the 
expression  of  suspicion,  but  to  give  some  token 
of  your  confidence  to  the  pupil  who  is  trouble- 
some. Intrust  him  with  some  errand  involving 
responsibility,  or  assign  to  him  some  duty  by  way 
of  assistance  to  yourself,  and  very  likely  you  will 
gain  his  good-will  ever  after.  This  is  founded 
upon  the  well-known  principle  in  human  nature 
acted  upon  by  Dr.  Franklin,  who,  when  he  would 
gain  his  enemy,  asked  him  to  do  him  a  favor. 

III.    As     SOON    AS    POSSIBLE,     GIVE     REGULAR     AND 

FULL  EMPLOYMENT.  It  is  an  old  provorb  that  "  idle- 
ness is  the  mother  of  mischief."  The  nursery 
hymn  also  contains  a  living  truth — 

"  And  Satan  finds  some  miscMef  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do." 

It  is  the  law  of  a  child's  nature  to  be  active ;  and 
as  the  teacher  is  placed  in  the  school  to  give  di- 
rection to  such  minds,  he  can  hardly  complain 
of  their   going  upon  forbidden  objects,  unless  he 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  201 

Tiie  teacher  may  enforce  employment.— Few  rules. 

seasonably  provides  something  better  for  them 
to  do. 

Very  early,  then,  the  teacher  should  endeavor 
to  classify  his  school,  and  furnish  constant  and  full 
employment — whether  of  study,  recitation,  or  re- 
laxation— for  every  hour  in  the  day.  The  teacher 
should  have  a  plan  when  he  opens  the  school, 
and  the  sooner  it  is  carried  into  full  operation 
the  better.*  Besides,  when  a  teacher  has  given 
employment,  he  has  a  right  to  insist  upon  the 
pupil's  being  engaged  in  study.  Nobody  will  ques- 
tion this  right ;  and  it  is  far  more  profitable  to 
require  a  positive  duty  than  to  enjoin  a  nega- 
tive,— such  as  abstinence  from  whispering  or  from 
mischief  in  general. 

rV.  Make  but  few  rules.  It  is  a  very  com- 
mon thing  for  teachers  to  embarrass  themselves 
by  a  long  code  of  requirements  and  prohibitions. 
Some  go  so  far  as  to  write  out  a  system  of  laws ; 
and,  annexing  to  each  the  penalty  for  its  infringe- 
ment, post  them  up  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
school-room.  Others  content  themselves  with  a 
verbal  announcement  of  them,  and  rely  upon  the 
memories  of  the  pupils  to  retain  the  details  of 
them  and  to  govern  themselves  accordingly.  This, 
it  seems  to  me,  is  a  great  mistake.  The  multi- 
plicity of  specific  rules  for  the  government  of  a 
school,  will  naturally  lead  to  a  multiplicity  of 
offenses.  Children  will  be  confused  by  the  vary- 
ing and  sometimes  conflicting  demands  of  a  for- 

*  See  CTiap.  xi.  of  this  work. 


202  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

The  world  lias  been  governed  too  much.— Do  right. 

midable  code  of  regulations,  and  in  endeavoring 
to  avoid  Scylla  will  be  likely  to  fall  into  Charyb- 
dis.  It  is  believed  by  some  honest  statesmen  that 
"the  world  has  been  governed  too  much";  and  it 
is  often  alleged  in  support  of  this  belief,  that  suc- 
cessful compliance  with  the  laws  requires  far 
more  wisdom  than  was  displayed  in  making  them ; 
that  is,  the  science  of  obedience  is  far  more  ab- 
struse than  the  science  of  legislation  !  Whether 
this  be  true  in  the  civil  world  or  not,  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  decide ;  I  will  only  say  that  such  has 
too  often  been  the  fact  in  the  school-room. 

It  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  part  of  wisdom,  and 
I  think  also  the  teaching  of  experience,  that  it  is 
best  to  make  but  few  rules.  The  great  rule  of 
duty,  quoted  once  before,  "Do  unto  others  as  you 
would  that  they  should  do  to  you",  comprises 
quite  enough  to  begin  with.  The  direction — Do 
RIGHT,  is  a  very  comprehensive  one.  There  is  in 
children  an  ability  to  distinguish  between  right 
and  wrong,  upon  which  the  teacher  may  ever 
rely ;  and  by  insisting  upon  this  as  the  standard, 
he  daily  brings  into  exercise  the  conscience  of 
the  child,  who  is  called  upon  to  decide,  is  this 
right  ?  Besides,  if  a  school  is  to  be  governed  by 
a  code  of  laws,  the  X->u-pils  will  act  upon  the  prin- 
ciple that  tuJiatever  is  not  proscribed  is  admissi- 
ble. Consequently,  without  inquiring  whether  an 
act  is  right,  their  only  inquiry  will  be,  is  it  for- 
bidden f  Now,  no  teacher  was  ever  yet  so  wise 
as  to  make  laws  for  every  case  ;  the  consequence 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  203 

Embarrassment  in  executing  laws.— No  discretion. 

is,  he  is  daily  perplexed  with  unforeseen  troubles, 
or  with  some  ingenious  evasions  of  his  inflexible 
code.  In  all  this  matter  the  worst  feature  is  the 
fact,  that  the  child  judges  of  his  acts  by  the  laiu 
of  the  teacher,  rather  than  by  the  law  of  his  con- 
science, and  is  thus  in  danger  of  perverting  and 
blunting  the  moral  sense. 

To  this  it  may  be  added,  that  the  teacher  will 
often  find  himself  very  much  perplexed  in  at- 
tempting to  judge  the  acts  of  his  pupils  by  fixed 
laws,  and  in  awarding  to  all  violations  of  them  a 
prescribed  penalty.  Cases  will  frequently  occur 
in  which  two  scholars  will  offend  against  a  given 
prohibition,  with  altogether  different  intentions, — 
the  one  having  a  good  motive  and  forgetting  the 
law ;  the  other  with  the  law  in  his  mind  and 
having  a  wicked  design  to  violate  it.  Now,  the 
written  code,  with  its  prescribed  penalty,  allows 
the  teacher  no  discretion.  He  must  maintain  his 
law  and  punish  both  offenders,  and  thus  violate 
his  own  sense  of  justice ;  or  he  must  pass  both 
by,  and  thus  violate  his  word.  He  can  not  ex- 
cuse the  one  and  punish  the  other,  as  justice 
would  evidently  demand,  without  setting  at 
naught  his  own  laws. 

An  example  will  illustrate  this  point.  A 
teacher  has  made  a  rule  that  "any  child  who 
whispers  without  leave  shall  be  feruled."  Now 
two  little  boys  sit  side  by  side.  William  is  an 
amiable,  obedient,  and  diligent  little  boy,  who 
has  never  violated  intentionally  any  wish  of  his 


204  SCHOOL     GOVEENMENT. 

Uliistration.— A  dilemma. 

teacher  ;  while  Charles  is  a  sour-tempered,  vicious, 
unprincipled  fellow,  who  a  dozen  times  within  a 
week  has  sought  to  make  his  teacher  trouble. 
Little  John,  who  sits  near  to  William,  drops  his 
pencil,  and  it  falls  under  William's  desk.  John 
looks  for  his  pencil  on  the  right  and  left  of  his 
seat,  grows  anxious  and  perplexed.  William  has 
noticed  him,  and  he  carefully  picks  up  the  pencil, 
while  John  perhaps  is  looking  for  it  in  another 
direction, — and  with  the  kind  intention  of  reliev- 
ing his  neighbor's  anxiety  and  restoring  his  prop- 
erty, he  touches  his  elbow,  and  softly  whispers, 
"  Here  is  your  pencil,  John," — then  immediately 
resumes  his  own  studies,  and  is  probably  entirely 
unconscious  of  having  violated  any  law.  At  the 
same  instant,  the  artful  Charles,  half  conceal- 
ing his  face  with  his  hand,  with  his  wary  eye 
turned  to  the  teacher,  willfully  addresses  another 
pupil  on  some  point  in  no  way  connected  with 
study  or  duty.  The  teacher  sees  both  these  cases 
and  calls  the  offenders  to  his  desk.  The  one 
trembles,  and  wonders  what  he  has  done  amiss, 
while  the  other  perhaps  prepares  himself  to  deny 
his  offense,  and  thus  to  add  falsehood  to  his  other 
sins.  The  rule  awards  to  both  the  ferule.  It  is 
applied  to  Charles  with  energy,  and  with  the  con- 
viction that  he  deserves  it ;  but  I  ask,  can  a  man 
with  any  sense  of  justice  raise  his  hand  to  punish 
William  ?  If  so,  I  see  not  how  he  can  ever  again 
hold  converse  with  his  own  conscience.  Yet  the 
rule  allows  him  no  discretion.     He  must  violate 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  205 

Hint  for  young  teachers.— Threatening.— Wake  up  mind. 

either  the  rule  or  his  conscience ;    and  too  often 
in  such  cases,  he  chooses  the  latter  alternative. 

Now  my  advice  is,  make  but  few  rules,  and 
never  multiply  them  till  circumstances  demand 
it.  The  rule  of  right  will  usually  be  sufficient 
without  any  special  legislation  ;  and  it  has  this 
advantage,  that  it  leaves  the  teacher  the  largest 
discretion, 

I  have  been  thus  full  on  this  point,  because 
so  many  fail  here,  and  especially  young  teachers. 
It  has  cost  many  a  young  teacher  much  bitter 
experience  to  make  this  discovery  for  himself,  and 
I  have  desired  to  save  others  who  may  hereafter 
engage  in  teaching,  the  pain  and  perplexity  which 
they  may  so  easily  and  so  safely  avoid. 

For  similar  reasons,  I  should  also  urge  that 
the  teacher  should  avoid  the  too  common  prac- 
tice of  threatening  in  his  school.  Threatening  is 
usually  resorted  to  as  a  means  of  frightening 
children  into  their  duty,  —  and,  too  often,  threats 
are  made  without  any  expectation  of  a  speedy 
necessity  either  to  execute  or  disregard  them. 
The  consequence  is,  they  are  usually  more  ex- 
travagant than  the  reality,  and  the  teacher's  word 
soon  passes  at  a  discount ;  his  threats  are  viewed 
as  very  much  like  the  barking  of  a  dog  who  has 
no  intention  to  bite.  As  threatening  is,  moreover, 
the  language  of  impatience,  it  almost  always  leads 
to  a  loss  of  respect. 

V.  Wake  up  mind  in  the  school,  and  in  the 
DISTEICT.     There   is  usually  but  very  little  trouble 


206  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Varieties  in  scliool.— Vocal  music. 

in  government  where  the  scholars  are  deeply 
engaged  in  their  studies  or  school  exercises,  and 
especially  if,  at  the  same  time,  the  feelings  of  the 
parents  are  enlisted.  To  this  end  I  would  recom- 
mend that  early  attention  should  be  given  to 
some  efforts  to  wake  up  mind,  such  as  have  been 
described  in  a  former  section  of  this  work.  It 
will  be  found,  when  skillfull}^  conducted,  one  of 
the  most  successful  instrumentalities  in  aid  of 
good  order  and  good  feeling  in  the  school. 

An  ingenious  teacher,  too,  may  introduce  other 
varieties  into  the  scliool  exercises,  and  thus  some- 
times turn  the  attention  of  discontented  pupils 
from  some  evil  design  to  give  him  trouble.  So 
long  as  the  teacher  keeps  steadily  the  main  object 
of  his  school  in  view,  namely,  progress  in  the 
studies,  he  is  excusable  if  occasionally,  to  break 
up  monotony  and  excite  a  deeper  interest,  he 
introduces  a  well-considered  new  plan  of  study  or 
of  recitation.  Indeed,  much  of  his  success  will 
depend  upon  his  power  to  do  this,  and  in  nothing 
wiU  its  advantages  appear  more  obviously  than 
in  the  government  of  the  school.  A  great  por- 
tion of  the  disorder  and  insubordination  in  our 
schools,  has  its  origin  in  a  want  of  interest  in  the 
school  exercises.  He  is  the  successful  teacher 
and  the  successful  disciplinarian  who  can  excite 
and  maintain  the  necessary  interest. 

As  one  of  these  varieties,  I  may  mention  the 
exercise  of  vocal  music  in  school.  I  have  already 
alluded  to  it.    As  a  means  of  keeping  alive  the 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  207 

German  proverb.— Music  in  heaven.— Easily  introduced  in  schools. 

interest  in.  a  school,  it  is  very  important.  Music 
is  the  language  of  the  heart,  and  though  capable 
of  being  grossly  perverted — (and  what  gift  of  God 
is  not?)  —  its  natural  tendency  is  to  elevate  the 
affections,  to  soothe  the  passions,  and  to  refine 
the  taste. 

"The  Germans  have  a  proverb,"  says  Bishop 
Potter,  "Avhich  has  come  down  from  the  days  of 
Luther,  that  where  music  is  not,  the  devil  enters. 
As  David  took  his  harp,  when  he  would  cause  the 
evil  spirit  to  depart  from  Saul,  so  the  Germans 
employ  it  to  expel  the  obduracy  from  the  hearts 
of  the  depraved.  In  their  schools  for  the  refor- 
mation of  juvenile  offenders  (and  the  same 
remark  might  be  applied  to  those  of  our  own 
country),  inusic  has  been  found  one  of  the  most 
effectual  means  of  inducing  docility  among  the 
stubborn  and  vicious.  It  would  seem  that  so  long 
as  any  remains  of  humanity  linger  in  the  heart, 
it  retains  its  susceptibility  to  music.  And  as 
proof  that  music  is  more  powerful  for  good  than 
for  evil,  is  it  not  worthy  of  profound  consideration 
that,  in  all  the  intimations  which  the  Bible  gives 
us  of  a  future  world,  music  is  associated  only 
with  the  employments  and  happiness  of  Heaven  ?" 
Almost  any  teacher  can  introduce  music  into 
his  school ;  because  if  he  can  not  sing,  he  will 
always  find  that  it  will  only  require  a  little  en- 
couragement to  induce  the  scholars  to  undertake 
to  conduct  it  themselves.  It  will  consume  but 
very  little  time,  and  it  is  always  that  time  which. 


208  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Visit  parents.— Reasons  why. 

if  not  employed  in  singing,  would  otherwise  be 
unemployed  or  misemployed.  It  is  the  united 
testimony  of  all  who  have  judiciously  introduced 
singing  into  their  schools,  that  it  is  among  the 
best  instrumentalities  for  the  promotion  of  good 
feeling  and  good  order. 

VI.  Visit  the  parents  of  your  scholars.  I 
shall  more  particularly  enjoin  this,  when  I  speak 
of  the  teacher's  relation  to  his  patrons  [chap,  xii.]; 
but  I  can  not  forbear  in  this  place  to  urge  it  upon 
the  teacher  as  one  of  the  means  of  securing  good 
order  in  school.  A  great  deal  of  the  insubordina- 
tion in  our  schools,  arises  from  some  misunder- 
standing, or  some  dislike  entertained  by  the 
parent  toward  the  teacher,  and  spoken  of  in 
presence  of  the  children.  Whatever  the  pupils 
hear  at  home,  they  will  be  likely  to  exemplify 
in  school.  It  should  be  the  teacher's  first  object 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  parent,  and  to 
let  him  understand,  by  a  personal  interview,  all 
his  plans  and  aims  for  the  improvement  of  the 
school.  This  can  be  done  best  at  the  parent's 
own  fireside.  It  has  often  happened,  that  by  a 
friendly  visit  of  an  hour  by  the  teacher,  the 
parent's  heart  has  been  softened,  his  prejudices 
removed,  his  co-operation  gained,  and  the  cheer- 
ful and  cordial  obedience  of  his  children  in  school 
secured. 

These  visits  should  of  course  be  made  in  the 
true  spirit  of  the  teacher.  They  should  be  made 
in  the  honest  desire   of   his   heart   to   render  his 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  209 

Registers  of  credits.— Why  credits. 

labors  more  successful.  A  visit  made  in  such  a 
spirit  seldom  fails  to  make  the  parents  persona] 
friends  ever  after ;  and,  of  course,  in  case  of  a 
collision  afterward  between  him  and  their  chili 
dren,  this  is  a  very  important  point. 

VII.  Registers  of  Credits.  Registers  of  the. 
standing  of  pupils  in  their  schools  and  their 
classes,  are  very  highly  recommended  by  some, 
whose  experience  is  entitled  to  confidence.  I  am 
inclined  to  place  this  among  the  means  of  se- 
curing good  order.  I  would  recommend,  however, 
that  they  should  be  registers  of  credits  only. 
Some  recommend  the  use  of  ^^hlack  marks",  that 
is,  the  record  of  prominent  faults  and  perhaps  of 
punishments.  My  own  experience  teaches  me 
that  this  is  unwise.  The  teacher  should  not 
show  a  willingness  to  record  and  publish  the 
faults  of  a  pupil.  He  should,  on  the  contrary, 
show  a  tender  regard  for  his  reputation.  Besides, 
the  child  is  less  likely  to  be  mindful  of  his  duty, 
when  his  reputation  is  already  Nachened  by  his 
teacher.  If  Registers  are  to  be  kept  at  all,  they 
should  record  the  successes  and  virtues  of  thfe 
child,  rather  than  his  failures  and  faults.  And 
if,  at  the  end  of  a  week  or  a  month,  he  is  fur- 
nished with  an  abstract  for  the  inspection  of  his 
parents,  let  it  be  so  much  of  good  character  as 
he  has  earned  for  himself  during  the  specified 
time. 

I  confess  I  am  less  sanguine  than  many  others 
as  to  the  utility  of  the  register,  either  as  an  in- 


210  8CH00L     GOVERNMENT. 

G-overnment  not  tlie  business  of  the  teaclier. — Mr.  Howard's  remark. 

centive  to  obedience  or  diligence ;  but,  if  used 
at  all,  I  think  the  above  restiiction  is  highly 
important. 

VIII.  Avoid  governing  too  much.  By  this  I 
would  be  understood  to  urge  upon  the  teacher 
the  fact  that  his  main  business  in  school  is  in- 
struction and  not  government.  Government  is  a 
means  and  not  the  end  of  school-keeping.  A 
very  judicious  and  practical  teacher — Mr.  R.  S. 
Howard — has  well  remarked:  "The  real  object  to 
be  accomplished,  the  real  end  to  be  obtained  in 
school,  is  to  assist  the  pupil  in  acquiring  knowl- 
edge,— to  educate  the  mind  and  heart.  To  effect 
this,  good  order  is  very  necessary.  But  when 
order  is  made  to  take  the  place  of  industry,  and 
discipline  the  place  of  instruction,  where  the  time 
of  both  teacher  and  pupils  is  mostly  spent  in 
watching  each  other,  very  little  good  will  be 
accomplished." 

It  is  a  mistake  that  many  teachers  fall  into, 
that  they  seem  to  regard  government  as  their 
chief  occupation  ;  and,  as  we  should  naturally  ex- 
pect in  such  cases,  it  is  often  very  poorly  exer- 
cised. That  is  not  the  best  government  which  is 
maintained  as  a  matter  of  formal  business.  The 
noiseless  under-current  is  far  more  efficient.  I 
have  always  noticed  that  men  govern  best  luhen 
they  do  not  seem,  to  govern ;  and  those  who  make 
most  effort  and  bustle  about  it  themselves,  are 
pretty  sure  to  have  the  most  boisterous  schools. 

I   once,   in    company  with    a    friend,   officially 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  211 


An  official  visit.— "  Order,  there  !"— A  scene. 


visited  a  school,  where  the  teacher,  a  man  of 
strong  frame — six  feet  high,  and  with  lungs  in 
proportion — was  laboring  to  keep  order.  Every 
word  he  uttered  was  in  a  stentorian  voice  Avhich 
would  have  been  painful  to  the  pupils  in  a  quiet 
room ;  hence,  they  took  care  to  keep  up  a  constant 
clattering  of  books,  slates,  and  rulers,  mingled 
with  the  constant  hum  of  their  own  voices,  as  if 
for  self-defense.  It  seemed  to  be  a  mighty  effort 
of  each  party  to  rise,  if  possible,  above  the  noise 
of  the  other.  "  Silence  !  Order,  I  say  !  "  was  con- 
stantly ejaculated  in  a  voice  that  was  almost 
sufficient,  as  Shakspeare's  Hamlet  would  say,  to 
"split  the  ears  of  the  groundlings." 

One  of  the  most  ludicrous  scenes  I  ever  wit- 
nessed, occurred  in  this  school  during  an  exercise 
in  English  grammar.  The  class  occupied  the 
back  seats,  while  the  teacher  stood  by  the  desk 
in  front  of  the  school.  The  children  between  the 
teacher  and  his  class  were  variously  employed, — 
some  manufacturing  paper  fly-boxes,  some  ivhit- 
tling  the  benches — (it  was  in  New  England) ;  some 
were  trying  their  skill  at  a  spit-ball  warfare ; 
others  were  making  voyages  of  exploration  be- 
neath the  seats.  The  school,  consisting  of  some 
seventy  pupils,  were  as  busy  as  the  occupants  of 
an  ant-hill.  The  sentence  to  be  parsed  was,  "A 
good  boy  loves  study."  No  written  description 
can  present  the  scene  as  it  was  acted  in  real  life. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  every  word 
spoken  by  the  teacher,  whether  to  the  class  or  to 


212  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Parsing.— A  dialogue.— " The  Rtile,  sir!"— A  Babel. 

the  school,  was  in  a  tone  of  voice  which  might 
have  been  heard  at  least  an  eighth  of  a  mile, 
and  that  every  exclamation  was  accompanied  by 
several  energetic  thumps  of  a  large  oaken  '''' rule'' 
upon  the  lid  of  his  desk.  The  language  of  the 
teacher  is  in  italics.  '' Mary, parse  A.''  "A  is  an 
indefinite  " — "  Silence  !  Order  there  !  " — "  article, 
and  is  prefixed  to  " — "  John  !  " — "  No,  sir,  it  is  pre- 
fixed to " — ^''Martha,  Martha  !  sit  up !  " — "  it  is  pre- 
fixed to— boj:'—"  Bight:'— '' Good,  next."— '' Good 
is  an  adjective," — "  Order,  order,  order  !  " — thump, 
thump,  thump  ! — "  Go  on,  go  on,  I  hear  you  !  " — 
thump,  thump  !  —  "  and  belongs  to  "  —  "  Speah 
louder !  Sit  up  there !  What  are  you  doing  ? 
And  belongs  to  ?  "  —  "  boy."  —  "  The  Rule.  The 
Rule  !  /  say." — Here  several  children  looked  ear- 
nestly at  the  piece  of  timber  he  held  in  his  hand. — 
"  The  Rule,  sir,  the  Rule  !  " — thump,  thump  ! — 
"You've  got  it  in  your  hand,"  vociferated  a  little 
harmless-looking  fellow  on  the  front  seat,  while 
the  scholar  proceeded  to  recite  the  rule. — "  Adjec- 
tives belong  to"  —  ^^ Lazy,  lazy  fellow!  sit  up 
there." — Here  the  class  smiled,  and  the  scholar 
completed  his  rule,  asserting,  however,  that  "ad- 
jectives belong  to  nouns,"  and  not  to  "  lazy  fel- 
lows," as  the  class  seemed  to  understand  the 
master  to  teach.  Word  after  word  was  parsed  in 
this  way  (a  way  of  teaching  our  language,  which, 
if  we  could  know  it  had  been  practiced  at  the 
erection  of  Babel,  would  sufficiently  account  for 
that  memorable  confusion  of  tongues  without  the 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  213 

"^^^lo  made  it?— Another  visit.— A  new  teacher. 

intervention  of  a  miracle),  till  the  teacher,  nearly 
exhausted  by  this  strange  combination  of  mental, 
oral,  and  tnanual  labor,  very  much  to  the  relief 
of  all,  vociferated,  "  Tliafll  do  I "  and  the  scene 
was  changed. 

At  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  we  were  told 
that  "  it  was  a  very  hard  school,  that  it  was 
alnnost  impossible  to  keep  order,  and  that  he 
should  be  discouraged  were  it  not  that  he  saw  a 
manifest  improvement  within  a  few  days  past ! " 

jSTow  this  teacher  made  the  school  what  it 
was,  by  his  own  manner.  He  would  have  done 
the  same  in  any  school.  He  taught  in  the  most 
effectual  way  the  science  and  art  of  confusion ; 
and  notwithstanding  the  hard  name  he  gave  his 
school,  he  was  emphaticalhj  the  most  disorderly 
and  noisy  member  of  it. 

There  was  a  change.  On  another  day,  accom- 
panied by  the  same  friend,  we  presented  our- 
selves at  the  door  of  this  same  room  for  admit- 
tance. We  heard  no  sound  as  we  approached  the 
entrance,  and  almost  began  to  suspect  we  should 
find  there  was  no  school  within.  We  knocked ; 
and  presently,  without  our  hearing  the  footstep 
of  the  person  who  approached,  the  door  opened, 
and  we  passed  in.  The  children  looked  up  a 
moment  as  we  entered,  and  then  bent  their  eyes 
upon  their  lessons.  The  teacher  softly  handed  us 
seats,  and  then  proceeded  with  the  recitation. 
His  manner  was  quiet  and  deliberate,  and  the 
school  was  orderly  and  busy.     He  had  no  rule  in 


214  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT, 


Good  order.— The  secret. — Excessive  silence. 

his  hand,  no  heavy  boots  on  his  feet  (he  had 
exchanged  them  for  shppers  on  entering  the 
school),  and  no  other  means  of  giving  emphasis 
to  his  words.  He  kindly  requested,  —  never  com- 
manded, —  and  every  thing  seemed  to  present  the 
strongest  contrast  with  the  former  scene.  The 
hour  of  dismission  arrived,  and  the  scholars  quietly 
laid  by  their  books,  and  as  quietly  walked  out  of 
the  house,  and  all  was  still. 

"How  have  you  secured  this  good  order?"'  said 
we  to  the  teacher.  "I  really  do  not  know,"  said 
he  with  a  smile,  "  I  have  said  nothing  about 
order."  "But  have  you  had  no  difficulty  from 
noisy  scholars  ?  "  "A  little  at  first ;  but  in  a  day 
or  two  they  seemed  to  become  quiet,  and  we 
have  not  been  troubled  since." 

Now  the  secret  was,  that  this  latter  teacher 
had  learned  to  govern  himself.  His  own  manner 
gave  character  to  the  school.  So  it  will  ever  be. 
A  man  will  govern  more  by  his  manner  than  in 
any  other  way. 

There  is,  too,  such  a  thing  as  keeping  a  school 
too  still  by  over-government.  A  man  of  firm 
nerve  can,  by  keeping  up  a  constant  constraint 
both  upon  himself  and  pupils,  force  a  death-like 
silence  upon  his  school.  You  may  hear  a  pin  drop 
at  any  time,  and  the  figure  of  every  child  is  as 
if  molded  in  cast  iron.  But,  be  it  remembered, 
this  is  the  stillness  of  constraint,  not  the  stillness 
of  activity.  It  is  an  unhealthy  state  both  of  body 
and   mind,  and  when  attained  by  the  most  vigi- 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  215 

Recapitulation.— Force  sometimes  needful. 

lant  care  of  the  teacher,  is  a  condition  scarcely  to 
be  desired.  There  should  be  silence  in  school,  a 
serene  and  soothing  quiet ;  but  it  should  if  pos- 
sible be  the  quiet  of  cheerfulness  and  agreeable 
ievotion  to  study,  rather  than  the  "  palsy  of  fear." 


Thus  far  I  have  confined  mj^self  to  those  quali- 
fications in  the  teacher,  and  to  those  means  which, 
under  ordinary  circumstances  and  in  most  dis- 
tricts, would  in  my  opinion  secure  good  order  in 
our  schools.  With  the  qualifications  I  have  de- 
scribed in  the  mental  and  moral  condition  of  the 
teacher,  and  the  means  and  suggestions  above 
detailed — combined,  I  believe  a  very  large  major- 
ity of  our  schools  could  be  most  successfully 
governed  without  any  appeal  to  fear  or  force. 

But  as  some  schools  are  yet  in  a  very  bad 
state,  requiring  more  than  ordinary  talents  and 
skill  to  control  them  ;  and  as  very  many  of  those 
who  must  teach  for  a  long  time  to  come,  have 
not,  and  can  not  be  expected  to  have,  all  the 
qualifications  described,  and  much  less  the  moral 
power  insisted  on,  it  is  unreasonable  to  expect, 
taking  human  nature  as  it  is,  and  our  teachers 
as  they  are,  that  all  can  govern  their  schools 
without  some  appeals  to  the  lower  motives  of 
children  and  some  resort  to  coercion  as  an  instru- 
mentality. I  should  leave  this  discussion  very 
incomplete,  therefore,  were  I  not  to  present  my 
views  upon  the  subject  of 


216  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Punishinent  defined.— Comments  on  definition. 

SECTION    III.— PUNISHMENTS. 

As  a  great  deal  has  been  written  and  spoken 
upon  the  subject  of  school  punishments,  I  deem 
it  important  that  the  term,  as  I  intend  to  use  it, 
should  be  defined  at  the  outset.  I  submit  the 
following  definition  : 

Punishment  is  pain  inflicted  upon  the  mind 

OR  BODY  of  an  INDIVIDUAL  BY  THE  AUTHORITY  TO 
WHICH  HE  IS  SUBJECT  ;  WITH  A  VIEW  EITHER  TO 
REFORM  HIM,  OR  TO  DETER  OTHERS  FROM  THE  COM- 
MISSION OF  OFFENSES,   OR  BOTH. 

It  is  deemed  essential  to  the  idea  of  punish- 
ment that  the  inflictor  have  legitimate  authority 
over  the  subject  of  it, — otherwise,  the  act  is  an 
act  of  usurpation.  It  is  also  essential  that  the 
inflictor  should  have  a  legitimate  object  in  view, 
such  as  the  reformation  of  the  individual  or  of 
the  community  in  which  his  example  has  exerted 
an  influence, — otherwise,  the  act  becomes  an  abuse 
of  power.  Infliction  for  the  purpose  of  retaliation 
for  an  insult  or  injury,  is  not  punishment ;  it  is 
revenge.  Whenever,  therefore,  a  teacher  resorts 
to  such  infliction  to  gratify  his  temper,  or  to 
pay  off,  as  it  is  expressed  in  common  language, 
the  bad  conduct  of  a  pupil,  without  any  re- 
gard to  his  reformxation  or  the  prevention  of 
similar  offenses  in  the  school,  the  pain  he 
inflicts  is  not  punishment ;  it  is  cruelty.  Very 
great  importance  is  to  be  attached  to  the  motive 
in    this    matter;     because     the    same    infliction 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  217 

■Whence  authority  is  derived.— Dr.  "Webster.— A  common  error. 

upon  the  same  individual  and  for  the  same 
offense,  may  either  be  just  and  proper  punish- 
ment, or  it  may  be  the  most  unjustifiable  and 
revengeful  abuse,  according  to  the  motive  of  the 
inflictor. 

The  authority  to  inflict  punishment  in  general, 
is  either  by  the  constitution  of  God  or  of  civil 
society.  "The  punishment  of  the  faults  and  of- 
fenses of  children  by  the  parent,"  says  Dr.  Web- 
ster, "is  by  virtue  of  the  right  of  government 
with  which  the  parent  is  invested  by  God  him- 
self." The  right  to  punish  the  offenses  of  chil- 
dren while  at  school,  is  by  the  common  law 
vested  in  the  teacher,  as  the  representative  of 
the  parent  for  the  time  being.  It  is  the  declara- 
tion of  this  law  as  interpreted  from  time  imme- 
morial, that  the  teacher  is  in  loco  parentis — in 
•place  of  the  parent. 

Some  have  alleged  that  fear  and  shame,  the 
two  principles  addressed  by  punishment,  are 
among  the  lowest  in  our  nature  ;  and  have  hence 
endeavored  to  show  that  punishment  is  always 
inexpedient,  if  not  indeed  always  wrong.  To  this 
I  answer,  that  both  fear  and  shame  are  incor- 
porated in  our  nature  by  God  himself ;  and  hence 
I  infer  they  are  there  for  a  wise  purpose.  I  find, 
moreover,  that  God  himself,  in  his  word  and  in 
his  providence,  does  appeal  to  both  of  these  prin- 
ciples ;  and  hence  I  infer  that  punishment  in  the 
abstract  is  not  wrong,  and  after  the  higher  motives 
have  been  addressed,  not  altogether  inexpedient. 


218  SCHOOL     GOVEENMENT. 

The  ri^M  assumed.— Plan  of  discussion.— Two  classes. 

Living  in  a  community  as  we  do,  where  the 
right  of  punishment  in  general,  is  assumed  by 
our  government,  and  the  right  of  teachers  to 
punish  is  conceded  by  our  laws,  I  do  not  feel 
called  upon  to  establish  the  right  by  argument ; 
I  shall  assume  that  the  teacher  has  the  right  to 
punish,  in  the  sense  in  which  I  have  defined  pun- 
ishment,— and  shall  therefore  proceed  to  consider 
the  various  kinds  of  punishments  used  in  our 
schools,  and  to  distinguish  those  which  are  justi- 
fiable from  those  which  are  not ;  and  also  to  con- 
sider some  of  the  conditions  and  limitations  of 
their  use. 

In  preparing  the  way  to  do  this,  I  may  remark 
that  punishments  consist  of  two  classes.  1.  Those 
which  address  themselves  directly  to  the  mind ; 
as  privation  from  privileges,  loss  of  liberty,  degra- 
dation, some  act  of  humiliation,  reproof,  and  the- 
like.  2.  Those  which  address  the  mind  through 
the  body ;  as  the  imposition  of  a  task — labor,  for 
instance, — requiring  the  pupil  to  take  some  pain- 
ful attitude,  inflicting  bodily  chastisement,  etc. 

I  have  mentioned  these  two  classes  for  the 
purpose  of  calling  attention  to  the  fact,  that 
there  are  those  who  approve  of  the  first  class, 
and  at  the  same  time  denounce  the  second,  scout- 
ing the  idea  of  reaching  the  mind  through  the 
senses  of  the  body.  This  seems  to  me,  however, 
to  indicate  a  want  of  attention  to  the  laws  of  our 
being ;  for  in  the  economy  of  nature,  we  are  made 
at  every  point   sensitive  to  pain   as  a  means  of 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  219 


Mind  maybe  reached  through  the  body.— Improper  punishments. 

guarding  against  injury.  Why  has  the  Creator 
studded  the  entire  surface  of  our  bodies  with  the 
extremities  of  nerves,  whose  function  is  to  carry  to 
the  brain  with  lightning  speed  the  intelligence  of 
the  approach  of  danger?  And  why  should  this 
intelligence  be  transmitted,  if  its  object  is  not  to 
influence  the  will,  either  to  withdraw  the  suffer- 
ing part  from  immediate  danger,  or  to  avoid 
those  objects  which  cause  the  pain?  The  mind, 
then,  by  the  economy  of  nature,  or  rather  by  the 
arrangement  of  God,  is  capable  of  being  influ- 
enced through  the  bodily  sensations  ;  and  those 
who  deny  this,  either  do  not  observe  attentively, 
or,  observing,  do  not  reason  fairly  as  to  the  laws 
of  our  being.  With  these  preliminary  observa- 
tions, I  now  proceed  to  consider, 

I.  Improper  Punishments.  Some  punishments 
■are  always  wrong,  or  at  least  always  inexpedient. 
The  infliction  of  them  either  implies  a  wrong 
feeling  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  or  it  promises 
no  wholesome  result  on  the  part  of  the  pupil.  I 
shall  mention  in  detail,  1.  Those  that  from  their 
nature  excite  the  feeling  in  the  pupil,  that  an 
indignity  has  heen  committed  against  his  person. 
No  man  is  ready  to  forgive  another  for  luringing 
his  nose.  There  is  almost  a  universal  sentiment 
that  this  organ  is  specially  exempted  from  such 
insult.  Nearly  the  same  feeling  exists  as  to 
pinching  or  pulling  the  ear,  or  twisting  the  hair, 
or  snapjjing  the  forehead.  Each  child  feels  that 
these   parts  of   his   person   are   not   to  be   trifled 


220  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Head  to  be  exempted  from  infliction. 

with,  and  the  feeling  is  natural  and  proper.  Now, 
though  it  is  not  common  for  teachers  to  wring 
the  noses  of  their  jDupils,  it  is  very  common  for 
them  to  do  each  of  the  other  things  enumerated. 
I  have  often  seen  such  punishments ;  but  I  think 
I  never  saw  any  good  come  of  them.  The  pupil 
always  looked  as  if  the  teacher  had  done  despite 
toward  his  person.  Whenever  I  have  seen  the 
teacher  twist  the  locks  of  a  child's  hair  about  his 
finger  till  the  tears  would  start  in  the  eye,  I  have 
supposed  the  feelings  called  forth  were  any  thing 
but  desirable, — any  thing  but  favorable  to  refor- 
mation. A  pupil  must  love  his  teacher  very 
strongly,  to  be  able  to  keep  his  temper  from 
rising  under  such  circumstances ;  and  there  is 
great  doubt  whether  either  of  these  punishments 
does  any  thing  to  secure  cheerful  obedience  in 
the  child,  one  time  in  a  hundred ;  probably  in 
ninety-nine  cases  in  the  hundred,  the  evil  pas- 
sions are  very  much  strengthened  by  them.  Be- 
sides, these  are  undignified  modes  of  punishment. 
They  savor  so  much  of  a  weak  and  childish  im- 
patience, that  the  pupils  find  it  hard  to  respect  a 
man,  much  more  to  love  him,  who  will  stoop  to 
so  small  a  way  of  giving  vent  to  his  angry  feel- 
ings. Snapping  the  forehead  is  subject  to  strong 
physiological  objections ;  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the 
head  and  its  appurtenances  should  be  exempted 
from  penal  violence. 

In   this   place   I   may  very  properly  allude   to 
another  mode   of   assailing  the   ears   of  children, 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  221 

Scolding.— Poor  investment. 

quite  as  undignified  in  itself,  and  quite  as  un- 
profitable in  its  results,  as  pulling  them, — and 
until  they  are  hardened  to  it  by  familiarity,  prob- 
ably more  painful.  I  refer,  I  need  not  sayj  tc 
scolding.  This  is  a  punishment  altogether  toe 
common.  There  is  a  physiological  law,  that  the 
exercise  of  any  organ  will  give  it  greater  strength 
and  generally  greater  celerity.  From  this  fact, 
.and  the  additional  one,  that  the  more  a  child  is 
scolded  the  harder  his  heart  becomes,  so  that 
here,  as  in  the  Rule  of  Three,  "more  requires 
more," — it  follows  that  those  who  once  begin  to 
scold,  are  fortunate  if  they  stop  short  of  high 
attainments  in  the  art. 

There  is  no  enterprise  in  which  the  investment 
yields  so  small  a  profit,  as  the  business  of  scold- 
ing. It  is  really  pitiable  to  witness  the  teacher 
given  to  this  practice,  making  himself  and  all 
around  him  unhappy,  without  the  hope  of  allevia- 
tion. The  command  of  the  tongue  is  a  great  virtue 
in  a  teacher ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  very  many 
children  still  suffer  in  their  moral  feelings*  as  well 
as  their  ears,  because  so  many  teachers  do  not 
seasonably  learn  the  right  control  of  the  "  unruly 
member  ". 

While    upon    this    subject,    I    may  allude    to 


*  A  blacksmith,  it  is  said,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  scold  his 
family,  quite  too  freely,  was  one  day  attempting  to  harden  a  piece  of 
steel ;  but  failing  after  two  or  three  attempts,  his  little  son,  who  had 
been  an  observer  of  this  as  well  as  other  operations  of  his  father,  is  said 
to  have  exclaimed,  "  Scold  it,  father,  scold  it— if  that  won't  harden  it,  nothing 
else  will." 


222  SCHOOL     GOTERXMEXT. 

Cockney  blackguardism. — Examples.— Beg    ardon. 

another  very  objectionable  mode  of  address  prac- 
ticed by  some  teachers  toTrard  their  schools.  I 
refer  to  a  mixture  of  scolding  with  a  species  of 
low  "wit  or  cockney  blackguardism,  that  should 
ever  be  banished  from  the  school-room.  Such 
expressions  as,  "  Sit  down,  John,  or  I'll  shiver  your 
top-timbers,'  —"  Attend  to  your  studies,  or  some 
of  you  will  be  a  Jwad  sliorter,'' — "Keep  quiet,  or 
you'll  hear  thunder," — and  the  like.  To  these  I, 
might  add  those  empty  and  debasing  threats 
which  are  too  often  and  too  thoughtlessly  uttered  ; 
as,  "I'll  skin  you  alive,"  or  '"I'll  shake  you  to 
pieces,"  or  "I'll  use  you  up," — with  others  of  the 
same  character.  I  perhaps  ought  to  beg  pardon 
for  placing  these  "vulgarisms  before  the  general 
reader ;  but  they  are  so  frequently  employed  in 
our  schools,  in  some  of  our  schools  of  good  repute, 
too,  that  I  thought  it  to  be  my  duty  to  quote 
them  (for  they  are  all  literal  quotations),  in  order 
if  possible  to  aid  those  who  have  fallen  into 
such  a  low  habit,  to  see  themselves  as  others  see 
them. 

It  is  so  very  easj'  for  a  teacher  to  raise  a  laugh 
among  his  pupils,  that  he  is  in  danger  of  being 
seduced  into  the  use  of  coarse  and  quaint  expres- 
sions by  the  supposition  that  they  are  witty.  But 
the  mirth  of  school-boys  is  not  a  more  reliable 
criterion  of  wit  in  the  modern  teacher,  than  it  was 
in  the  case  of  the  school-master  described  by  Gold- 
smith ;  and  possibly  the  exercise  of  a  little  discern- 
ment on  his  part  would  convince  him  that  children 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  223 

Prolonged  tortures.— The  Bible  at  arm's  length. 

sometimes  laugh,  as  they  did  of  old,  because  they 

think  it  prudent  to  do  so. 

"  A  man  severe  he  was  and  stem  to  view, 
I  knew  him  well,  and  every  truant  knew; 
"Well  had  the  boding  tremblers  learned  to  trace 
The  day's  disasters  in  his  morning  face; 
Pull  well  they  laughed,  with  counterfeited  glee. 
At  all  his  jokes,  for  many  a  joke  had  he  I " 

It  is  unquestionably  true  that  there  are  schools 
and  many  such,  now  of  high  standing,  the  lan- 
guage of  whose  teachers,  could  it  be  noted  down 
and  printed  for  the  parents,  would  perfectly  as- 
tonish them  ;  and  such  is  the  force  of  habit,  it 
would  very  likely  astonish  the  teachers  them- 
selves. Let  all  who  mean  to  respect  themselves, 
or  who  desire  to  be  long  respected  by  others,  most 
carefully  avoid  the  first  approach  to  the  use  of 
such  kind  of  language.  Its  influence  in  school 
is  "only  evil,  and  that  continually." 

2.  Those  punishments  that  from  their  nature 
i'mply  in  the  inflictor  a  love  of  prolonged  torture. 
These  are  quite  numerous,  and  are  resorted  to, 
often  for  the  purpose  of  avoiding  what  is  usually 
deemed  severer  punishment.  Some  of  them  also 
have  very  serious  physiological  objections.  As  an 
instance,  I  may  mention  the  holding  of  a  weight 
at  arm's  length  until  the  muscles  of  the  arm 
become  painful  from  over-exertion  and  fatigue. 
Sometimes  the  Bible,  being  the  largest  book  at 
hand,  is  chosen  as  the  weight ;  and  thus  that  book, 
which  should  have  no  associations  connected  with 
it  in  the  minds  of  the  young,  but  those  of  rever- 


224  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Physiological  effects.— Moral  effe<)ts. 

ence  and  love,  is  made  the  instruraent  of  torture — 
the  minister  of  cruelty ! 

Imagine  that  you  see — v^^hat  I  have  seen — an 
offending  boy  called  to  the  teacher's  desk,  and, 
after  words  of  reproach,  sentenced  to  hold  the 
large  Bible  at  arm's  length  for  a  specified  time, 
or  until  the  teacher  is  willing  to  release  him.  At 
first  it  is  raised  with  a  smile  of  triumph,  almost 
a  smile  of  contempt.  Soon  the  muscles  thus  ex- 
erted at  disadvantage,  begin  to  be  weary  and  to 
relax.  ''  Hold  it  up  !  "  exclaims  the  vigilant  teacher, 
and  it  is  again  brought  to  its  position.  Sooner 
than  before  the  muscles  are  fatigued,  and  they 
almost  refuse  to  obey  the  mandate  of  the  ivill, 
which  itself  is  half  luilUng  to  rebel  against  aur- 
thority  so  unreasonable,  ''Up  with  it!" — again 
brings  it  to  its  place,  or  perhaps  a  stroke  of  the 
rattan  repeats  the  command  with  more  urgency. 
At  this  moment  every  nerve  sympathizes,  and 
the  muscles  are  urged  on  to  their  greatest  effort. 
The  limb  is  in  agony, — and  what  agony  can  sur- 
pass that  of  an  overstrained  muscle? — and  the 
whole  system  reels  and  writhes  with  suffering. 
Now  look  into  that  child's  face,  and  tell  me,  what 
is  the  moral  effect  of  this  sort  of  punishment? 
Unless  he  is  one  of  the  most  amiable  of  the  sons 
of  Adam,  he  inwardly  curses  the  cruelty  that  he 
thinks  is  delighted  with  pangs  like  these,  pro- 
tracted yet  intolerable.  He  almost  curses  the 
blessed  book  which  was  given  to  warm  his  soul 
into  life  and  immortality.     He  cries  with   pain, 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT,  225 

Hold  a  nail  1  —Sitting  on  nothing. — On  worse  than  nothing. 

but  not  with  penitence.  He  may  submit,  indeed, 
and  he  may  abstain  from  similar  offenses  in  time 
to  come  ;  but  it  is  the  submission  of  self-pres- 
ervation, and  the  abstinence  of  an  eye-servant. — 
while  the  stain  that  has  thus  been  inwrought  in 
his  moral  sensibilities,  may  long  remain  unex- 
punged.  Such  a  punishment  I  unhesitatingly 
pronounce  to  be  improper^  whatever  may  be  the 
circumstances. 

Akin  to  this  are  those  other  contrivances  to 
give  prolonged  pain,  which  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  have  taken  a  variety  of  forms,  and 
as  great  a  variety  of  names.  One  of  these  has 
been  termed  "  holding  a  nail  into  the  floors  It 
consists  in  requiring  the  pupil  to  bend  forward, — 
and,  placing  the  end  of  a  single  finger  upon  the 
head  of  a  nail,  to  remain  in  that  position  till  the 
whole  system  is  agonized.  Another  has,  by  some 
of  its  inflictors,  been  termed  "sitting  on  nothing." 
The  pupil  is  required  to  place  his  back  against 
a  wall  of  the  room,  and  his  feet  perhaps  a  foot 
from  its  base,  and  then  to  slide  his  body  down  till 
the  knees  are  bent  at  right  angles,  and  his  person 
is  in  a  sitting  posture  without  a  seat !  The 
muscles,  acting  over  the  knee  at  the  greatest  dis- 
advantage, are  now  made  to  support  the  body  in 
that  position  during  the  pleasure  of  the  teacher. 
/  have  seen  another  mode  of  punishment  prac- 
ticed, and  as  I  have  heard  no  name  for  it,  I  shall 
give  it  the  cognomen  of  "sitting  on  worse  than 
nothing."     The  boy  in  this  case  was  required  to 


226  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

EidicTile.— "Wliy  objectionable. 

sit  upon  the  floor,  and  then,  -placing  the  feet 
upon  a  bench  or  chair,  to  support  the  body  in 
an  erect  position  by  reversed  action  of  the 
muscles ! 

But  I  gladly  turn  away  from  a  description  of 
the  punishments  I  have  witnessed  in  the  common 
schools  of  New  England  within  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  exhibiting  as  they  do  so  many  character- 
istics of  the  dark  ages.  Some  of  these  I  have 
witnessed  quite  recently ;  and  to  what  extent  any 
or  all  of  them  are  now  in  use,  I  am  unable  to 
say.  I  only  desire  to  say,  that  they  are  all  im- 
proper,— debasing  to  the  morals  of  the  pupils,  and 
degrading  to  the  profession  of  the  teacher ;  and 
the  sooner  such  punishments  are  entirely  ban- 
ished from  our  school-rooms,  the  sooner  will  the 
profession  of  the  teacher  rise  to  its  proper  level. 

3.  Ridicule.  This  is  a  weapon  that  should  not 
be  wielded  as  a  school-punishment.  It  often  cuts 
deeper  than  he  who  uses  it  imagines ;  and  it 
usually  gives  most  pain  where  it  is  least  merited. 
Some  physical  defect,  or  some  mental  incapacity, 
or  eccentricity,  is  most  frequently  made  the  sub- 
ject of  it ;  and  yet  nothing  can  be  more  unfeeling 
or  more  unjust  than  its  use  in  such  cases.  If  the 
designed  failings  of  the  indolent,  or  the  premedi- 
tated mischief  of  the  vicious,  could  be  subjected 
to  its  influence,  its  use  would  be  more  allowable, — 
but  even  then  it  would  be  questionable.  But  the 
indolent  and  the  vicious  are  usually  unaffected 
by  ridicule.     They  sin  upon   calculation,  and  not 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  227 


1,089  of  love — of  confidence. 


without  counting. the  cost ;  and  they  are  therefore 
very  wiUing  to  risk  their  reputation,  where  they 
have  so  Uttle  to  lose.  It  is  the  modest,  the  con- 
scientious, the  well-meaning  child,  that  is  most 
affected  hy  ridicule ;  yet  it  is  such  a  one  that,  for 
various  reasons,  is  oftenest  made  the  subject  of 
it,  though  of  all  children,  his  feelings  should  be 
most  tenderly  spared. 

A  strong  objection  to  the  use  of  ridicule,  is  the 
feeling  which  it  induces  between  the  teacher  and 
pupil.  The  teacher,  conscious  that  he  has  injured 
the  feelings  of  the  child,  will  find  it  hard  to  love 
him  afterward;  for  we  seldom  love  those  whom 
we  have  injured.  The  child,  on  the  other  hand, 
loses  confidence  in  his  teacher ;  he  feels  that  his 
sensibilities  have  been  outraged  before  his  com- 
panions, and  that  the  teacher,  who  should  be  his 
best  friend  in  the  school,  has  invited  the  heartless 
laugh  of  his  fellow-pupils  against  him.  With  a 
want  of  love  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  confidence 
on  the  other,  what  further  usefulness  can  reason- 
ably be  expected? 

But  the  strongest  objection  of  all  to  the  use  of 
ridicule,  is  the  fact  that  it  calls  forth  the  worst 
of  feelings  in  the  school.  Those  who  participate 
in  the  laugh  thus  excited,  are  under  the  influ- 
ence of  no  very  amiable  motives.  And  when  this 
is  carried  so  far  as  to  invite,  by  direct  words, 
some  expression  from  'the  school-mates,  by  point- 
ing the  finger  of  shame,  and  perhaps  accom- 
panying   the   act    by  a  hiss  of  scorn,    the   most 


228  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Little  Mary.— A  scene. 

deplorable    spirit    of   self  -  righteousness    is    culti- 
vated. 

Little  Mary  was  detected  one  day  in  a  wrong 
act  by  her  teacher.  "Mary,  come  here,"  said  the 
teacher,  sternly.  Little  thinking  she  had  been 
seen,  she  obeyed  promptly,  and  stood  by  the 
chair  of  her  teacher,  who,  without  giving  Mary 
time  to  reflect,  and  thus  allow  the  conscience 
opportunity  to  gain  the  mastery,  immediately 
asked,  "What  naughty  thing  did  I  see  you  do 
just  now?"  "Nothing,"  said  Mary,  partly  dis- 
posed to  justify  herself,  and  partly  doubting 
whether  indeed  the  teacher  had  seen  her  do  any 
thing  wrong.  "  Oh,  Mary,  Mary,  who  would  think 
you  would  tell  me  a  lie  !  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
Ananias  and  Sapphira  ?  "  Here  a  lecture  followed 
on  the  sin  and  danger  of  lying,  and  particularly 
the  danger  of  sudden  death  by  the  vengeance 
of  God.  Mary  began  to  tremble,  and  then  to 
weep,  probably  from  terror.  Now  came  the  second 
part.  "I  should  think  you  would  be  ashamed  to 
be  known  to  lie.  All  the  children  now  know 
that  you  have  lied.  I  should  think  they  would 
feel  ashamed  of  such  a  naughty  little  girl  in  the 
school.  I  should  not  wonder,"  she  continued,  "if 
all  the  little  girls  and  boys  should  point  their 
fingers  at  you  and  hissJ'  In  an  instant,  all  the 
children  who  were  not  too  old  to  be  disgusted 
with  the  management  and  tone  of  the  teacher, 
pointed  their  fingers,  and  uttered  a  long  succes- 
sion of  hisses,  while  their  faces  beamed  with  all 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  229 

Self-rigliteousness.— Defiance.— Freezing  the  affections. 

the  complacency  of  self-righteousness,  triumph- 
ing over  the  fall  of  a  companion,  who  perhaps 
was,  after  all,  as  good  and  as  truthful  a  child  as 
any  of  them.  The  poor  child  at  first  turned  her 
back  upon  them ;  but  soon,  feeling  that  her 
reputation  was  gone,  she  turned,  as  woman  ever 
will  when  her  self-respect  is  blighted,  with  a  look 
of  indifference,  almost  a  look  of  defiance.  Fear 
was  first  swallowed  up  in  shame,  and  shame 
gave  place  to  reckless  audacity.  The  whole  scene 
was  rendered  still  more  ruinous  to  the  child,  from 
the  fact  that  it  took  place  in  the  presence  of 
visitors ! 

When  will  our  teachers  learn  the  human  heart 
well  enough  to  be  able  to  distinguish  between  a- 
work  of  devastation  and  of  true  culture ;  between 
a  process  of  blighting  the  sensibilities,  searing 
the  conscience,  freezing  up  the  fountains  of  sym- 
pathy, and  of  mutual  love  and  confidence, — and 
a  course  of  training  which  warms  the  conscience 
into  activity,  inculcates  the  reverence  and  love 
of  God,  instead  of  a  slavish  fear  of  his  power, 
and  instills  into  the  soul  a  desire  to  do  right, 
rather  than  to  do  that  which  will  avoid  the 
reproach  of  an  unfeeling  multitude,  more  wicked 
than  those  they  censure?  Goldsmith  has  shown 
that  woman  may  "  stoop  to  conquer " ;  but  the 
above  narrative  shows  how  she  may  stoop,  not 
to  conquer,  but  to  Jay  waste  the  youthful  heart. 

These  punishments,  and  such  as  these,  which 
I  have  classed  under  the  list  of  improper  punish- 


230  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Let  teachers  tliink.— Proper  punishments.— Keproof  in  private. 

ments,  should  all  be  carefully  considered  by  the 
teacher.  They  should  be  considered  before  he 
enters  his  school.  It  would  always  be  well  for 
him  to  determine  beforehand  what  punishments 
he  will  not  use.  It  may  save  him  many  a  seri- 
ous mistake.  I  have  written  what  I  have  under 
this  head,  in  order  to  put  teachers  upon  thought ; 
believing  that  men  seldom  earnestly  and  hon- 
estly inquire,  without  arriving  at  the  truth  in 
the  end. 

n.  Proper  punishments.  Every  teacher's  mind 
should,  if  possible,  be  settled,  as  to  what  punish- 
ments are  proper,  so  that  when  they  are  inflicted, 
it  can  be  done  in  good  faith  and  with  an  honest 
conviction  of  the  performance  of  duty.  Among 
the  proper  punishments,  I  may  mention — 

1.  Kind  Reproof.  This  will  probably  be  con- 
ceded by  all.  I  say  kind  reproof,  because  no 
other  reproof  can  be  useful.  I  would  distinguish 
it  from  reproach.  Reproof,  judiciously  admin- 
istered, is  one  of  the  most  effectual  punishments 
that  can  be  used.  As  a  general  rule,  this  is  best 
administered  privately.  The  child's  spirit  of 
obstinacy  is  very  likely  to  exhibit  itself  in  the 
presence  of  his  fellows  ;  but  in  private,  the  con- 
science is  free  to  act,  and  the  child  very  readily 
submits.  It  is  always  perfectly  safe  to  reprove 
privately ;  that  is,  not  in  the  presence  of  the 
school.  The  child  has  no  motive  to  misrepresent 
the  teacher ;  and  if  the  teacher  so  far  spares  the 
reputation  of  the  pupil,  as  to  take  him  by  him- 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  231 

IjOSS  of  privileges,  consequent  upon  abuse. — Confinement. 


self,  this  very  circumstance  will  often  give  the 
teacher  access  to  his  better  feelings, 

2.  Loss  of  Privileges.  By  abuse  of  privileges 
we  forfeit  them.  This  is  a  law  of  Providence. 
It  is  unquestionably  proper  that  this  should  be 
a  law  of  our  schools.  All  those  offenses,  there- 
fore, against  propriety  in  the  exercise  of  any 
privilege,  may  be  attended  with  a  temporary  or 
permanent  deprivation  of  such  privilege.  A  pupil 
who  is  boisterous  at  the  recess,  disturbing  the 
quiet  of  the  school  or  impeding  the  enjoyment 
of  his  playfellows,  may  be  deprived  of  the  recess. 
A  child,  who  disfigures  his  seat  with  his  knife, 
may  be  deprived  of  his  knife ;  and  so  for  any 
other  similar  offense.  Some  consider  it  proper 
to  extend  this  punishment  to  other  classes  of 
offenses ;  as,  for  example,  whispering  or  idleness. 
While  I  would  not  deny  the  right  or  the  propriety 
of  doing  so,  I  should  think  it  more  expedient  not 
thus  to  extend  it.  It  is  well,  as  far  as  it  can  be 
done,  so  to  punish  the  child,  that  he  shall  see  that 
his  conduct  naturally  leads  to  its  punishment  as 
a  consequence.  And  it  is,  moreover,  very  probable 
that  in  most  schools  there  will  be  demand  enough 
for  this  punishment,  in  its  natural  application, 
without  extending  it  to  other  cases. 

3.  Restraint,  or  confineinent.  When  liberty 
is  abused,  a  scholar  may  be  put  under  restraint. 
When  duty  is  violated,  and  the  rights  of  others 
are  wantonly  disregarded,  confinement  will  afford 
time  for  reflection,  and  at  the  same  time  relieve 


232  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Not  in  a  dark  room.— "Why  not.— Humiliation.— Seldom. 

others  from  the  annoyance  and  detriment  of  evil 
example.  Such  restraint  is  often  a  wholesome 
discipline  ;  and  confinement,  if  it  be  not  too  far 
protracted,  is  always  safe.  It  should  be  remarkedj 
however,  that  confinement  in  a  dark  apartment 
should  never  be  resorted  to  by  any  teacher. 
There  are  insuperable  objections  to  it,  growing 
out  of  the  fears  which  many  children  early  en- 
tertain of  being  alone  in  the  dark,  as  also  the 
fact  that  light  as  well  as  air  is  necessary  to  the 
vigorous  action  of  the  nervous  system  during 
the  waking  hours,  especially  in  the  day-time.  It 
is  well  known  that  a  child  shut  up  in  a  dark  room 
even  in  the  warmth  of  summer,  speedily  under- 
goes a  depression  of  temperature ;  and  if  the 
confinement  is  unduly  protracted,  cold  chills 
come  over  the  system.  For  these  reasons,  and 
others,  if  confinement  is  ever  used  as  a  punish- 
ment, it  should  be  in  a  room  properly  lighted 
and  heated.  Our  prisoners  enjoy,  as  far  as  may 
be,  both  of  these  favors. 

4.  Hutniliation.  This  should  be  resorted  to 
with  great  caution.  When  a  fault  has  been  openly 
committed,  and  attended  with  circumstances  of 
peculiar  obstinacy,  it  may  sometimes  very  prop- 
erly be  required  of  the  offender  that  he  should 
confess  the  fault  in  a  manner  as  public  as  its 
commission.  This  may  be  due  to  the  school. 
Sometimes,  when  an  offensive  act  is  very  strongly 
marked,  a  confession  and  a  request  for  the  for- 
giveness of  the  teacher  or  the  individual  injured 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  233 


A  task.— When  and  how. 


may  be  made  a  condition  of  restoration  to  favor. 
This  is  usually  considered  a  very  proper  punish- 
ment. I  would,  however,  suggest,  that  it  be  used 
with  great  care,  and  never  unless  the  circum- 
stances imperatively  demand  it.  It  may  be  the 
means  of  cultivating  the  grossest  hypocrisy,  or 
of  inducing  open  rebellion ;  and  it  sometimes 
gives  the  other  pupils  an  advantage  over  the 
culprit,  which  may  do  him  personally  much 
harm.  The  teacher  should  be  convinced  that 
this  is  the  best  thifig  he  can  do,  before  he  resorts 
to  it. 

5.  The  imposition  of  a  task.  In  every  school 
there  is  more  or  less  work  to  be  done ;  such  as 
sweeping  the  floors,  washing  the  benches,  pre- 
paring the  fuel,  and  making  the  fires.  Unless 
objection  should  be  made  by  parents,  this  is  one 
of  the  most  effectual  punishments,  especially  in 
cities  and  large  villages,  where  work  is  a  burden, 
and  the  attractions  of  play  are  most  powerful. 
Some  difficult  schools  have  been  governed  for 
months  with  no  other  punishment  than  labor 
thus  imposed.  The  plan  is,  that  if  two  boys 
neglect  their  studies  so  as  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  teacher,  they  shall  be  nominated  as 
membeis  of  the  committee  on  sweeping, — a  duty 
to  be  performed  after  school  hours.  If  one  oi 
two  more  are  decidedly  disorderly,  they  shall  be 
required  to  make  fires,  bring  up  wood,  or  perhaps 
wash  a  certain  portion  of  the  room.  This  is 
always  assigned  pleasantly  by  the   teacher,  with 


234  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

An  objection.— Answer.— Not  strongly  urged.— The  rod. 

the  understanding,  however,  that  any  failure  to 
do  the  allotted  work  thoroughly  and  faithfully, 
will  be  attended  with  a  reappointment  till  the 
object  is  secured, 

K  parents  should  object  to  this,  it  is  not  abso- 
lutely essential  to  the  teacher's  success ;  but 
where  no  objection  is  made,  if  judiciously  man- 
aged, it  may  do  very  much  in  naany  of  our  schools 
toward  producing  that  quiet  order,  which  other- 
wise it  might  require  more  cogent  and  less  agree- 
able means  to  secure. 

It  has  sometimes  been  urged  as  an  objection 
to  this  mode  of  punishment,  that  it  would  tend 
to  attach  the  idea  of  disgrace  to  useful  labor.  It 
is  conceived  that  this  is  by  no  means  the  neces- 
sary consequence.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would 
serve  to  teach  the  difference  there  always  is  be- 
tAveen  a  duty  imposed  and  one  voluntarily  under- 
taken. The  same  objection  would  apply  to  our 
prison  discipline,  where  a  man  by  a  Avillful  disre- 
gard of  law  and  the  rights  of  others,  very  justly 
forfeits  his  services  for  a  time  to  the  State. 

I  would  not  lay  very  much  stress  upon  this 
mode  of  punishment,  though  I  have  known  it 
resorted  to,  under  favorable  circumstances,  with 
very  good  effect.  It  would,  of  course,  be  more 
effectual  in  a  large  town  or  city,  than  in  the 
country,  where  boys  are  in  the  habit  of  laboring 
at  home  and  would  be  quite  as  willing  to  labor 
after  regular  hours  at  school. 

6.  Actual  chastisement  tvith  the  rod  of  correc- 


SCHOOL   govern:m£NT.  235 

Corporal  punishment.— "Views  of  others.— NotMng  to  conceal. 

tion.  I  have  no  hesitation  (though  others  have) 
in  placing  this  among  the  class  of  proper  punish- 
ments. As  this  involves  a  great  question  on  the 
subject  of  school  government,  and  one  that  is 
debated  with  great  zeal  and  warmth  in  almost 
every  educational  meeting  that  is  held,  I  shall 
feel  justified  in  giving  a  little  more  space  to  the 
consideration  of  it. 


SECTION    IV.— CORPORAL    PUNISHMENT. 

I  am  aware  that  when  I  enter  this  field  I  am 
treading  on  ground  every  inch  of  which  has  been 
disputed.  I  come  to  the  task  of  writing  on  this 
subject,  however,  I  think,  without  prejudice  or 
asperity.  Having  nothing  to  conceal,  I  shall  ex- 
press my  own  views  honestly  and  frankly, — views 
which  I  entertain  after  diligently  seeking  the 
truth  for  some  twenty  years,  during  which  time 
I  have  listened  to  a  great  deal  of  discussion,  and 
have  read  carefully  and  candidly  whatever  has 
been  written  by  others.  ISTor  do  I  expect  to  give 
universal  satisfaction.  There  are  strong  men,  and 
I  believe  honest  men,  who  run  to  the  opposite 
extremes  in  their  doctrine  and  practice,  and  who 
defend  the  one  course  or  the  other  as  if  the  ex- 
istence of  the  world  depended  upon  the  issue. 
There  are  those  who  not  only  claim  the  right  to 
chastise,  but  who  insist  that  whipping  should  be 
the  first  resort  of  the  teacher  in  establishing  his 
authority ;  and  to  show  that  this  is  not  a  dormant 


236  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Men  see  differently.— A  privilege  claimed.— Authority  at  any  rate. 

article  of  their  faith,  they  daily  and  almost  hourly 
demonstrate  their  efficiency  in  the  use  of  the  rod, 
so  that  their  pupils  may  be  living  witnesses  that 
they  act  in  accordance  with  their  creed.  Again, 
there  are  others  who  as  earnestly  deny  the  right 
of  the  teacher  to  resort  to  the  rod  at  all,  and  who 
urge  with  all  their  power  the  efficacy  of  moral 
suasion  to  subdue  and  control  the  vicious  and 
the  stubborn  in  our  schools ;  and  who  are  ready 
to  assert  unequivocally  that  no  man  is  fit  to  be 
employed  to  teach  the  young,  who  has  not  the 
ability  to  govern  all  the  various  dispositions  he 
may  meet  in  any  school,  without  the  use  of  cor- 
poral punishment. 

I  have  no  disposition  to  question  the  sincerity 
and  honesty  of  each  of  these  classes,  knowing  as 
I  do,  that  different  men  see  with  different  eyes, 
even  when  the  circumstances  are  the  same  ;  much 
more  when  their  circumstances  are  widely  diverse. 
I  have  no  bitterness  of  language  to  apply  to  those 
who  go  to  the  extreme  of  severity  ;  nor  any  sneer 
to  bestow  upon  the  name  of  "  moral-suasionist." 
But  while  1  accord  to  other  men  the  right  of  ex- 
pressing their  own  opinions,  I  claim  the  same 
privilege  for  myself, — j^et  without  wishing  to  ob- 
trude my  opinions  upon  other  men  any  further 
than  they  will  bear  the  test  of  reason  and  expe- 
rience. 

It  is  agreed  on  all  hands  that  the  teacher 
must  establish  authority  in  some  way,  before  he 
can  pursue  successfully  the  objects  of  his  school. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  237 

We  must  take  the  world  as  it  is.— Mr.  Mann  quoted. 

I  have  described  the  qualifications  which  the 
teacher  should  possess  in  order  to  govern  well, 
and  I  have  also  given  some  of  the  means  of  se- 
curing good  order  without  a  resort  to  severity. 
Probably  in  a  large  majority  of  our  schools,  the 
teacher  with  these  qualifications  and  the  employ- 
ment of  these  means,  could  succeed  in  establish- 
ing and  maintaining  good  order  without  any  such 
resort.  This  should,  in  my  opinion,  always  be 
done,  if  possible, — and  no  one  will  rejoice  more 
than  myself  to  see  the  day,  should  that  day  ever 
come,  when  teachers  shall  be  so  much  improved 
as  to  be  able  to  do  this  universally.  But  in 
writing  on  this  subject,  it  is  the  dictate  of  com- 
mon sense  to  take  human  nature  as  it  is,  and 
human  teachers  as  they  are,  and  as  many  of 
them  must  be,  for  some  time  to  come, — and  adapt 
our  directions  to  the  circumstances.  Human 
nature,  as  it  is  exhibited  in  our  children,  is  far 
from  being  perfect ;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
the  parents  of  our  children  often  exhibit  it  in  a 
still  less  flattering  light.  Perhaps  no  language 
of  mine  can  so  well  represent  the  concurrence 
of  circumstances  making  corporal  punishment 
necessary  in  our  schools,  as  it  has  been  done  by 
the  Hon.  Horace  Mann  in  his  lecture  on  "  School 
Punishments."  "  The  first  point,"  says  he,  "which 
I  shall  consider,  is,  whether  corporal  punishment 
is  ever  necessary  in  our  schools.  As  preliminary 
to  a  decision  of  this  question,  let  us  take  a  brief 
survey  of  facts.    We  have  in  this  Commonwealth 


238  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

DtfHculties  to  be  met,— in  children,— in  parents. 

[Massachusetts],  above  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  thousand  children  between  the  ages  of  four 
and  sixteen  years.  All  these  children  are  not 
only  legally  entitled  to  attend  our  public  schools 
but  it  is  our  great  desire  to  increase  that  attend 
ance,  and  he  who  increases  it  is  regarded  as  a 
reformer.  All  that  portion  of  these  children  who 
attend  school,  enter  it  from  that  vast  variety  of 
homes  which  exist  in  the  State.  From  different 
households,  where  the  widest  diversity  of  parental 
and  domestic  influences  prevails,  the  children 
enter  the  school-room,  where  there  must  be  com- 
parative uniformity.  •  At  home,  some  of  these 
children  have  been  indulged  in  every  wish,  flat- 
tered and  smiled  upon  for  the  energies  of  their 
low  propensities,  and  even  their  freaks  and  whims 
enacted  into  household  laws.  Some  have  been 
so  rigorously  debarred  from  every  innocent  amuse- 
ment and  indulgence,  that  they  have  opened  for 
themselves  a  way  to  gratification,  through  arti- 
fice and  treachery  and  falsehood.  Others,  from 
vicious  parental  example,  and  the  corrupting 
influences  of  vile  associates,  have  been  trained 
to  bad  habits  and  contaminated  with  vicious 
principles,  ever  since  they  were  born ; — some 
being  taught  that  honor  consists  in  whipping  a 
boy  larger  than  themselves  ;  others,  that  the  chief 
end  of  man  is  to  own  a  box  that  can  not  be 
opened,  and  to  get  money  enough  to  fill  it ;  and 
others  again  have  been  taught,  upon  their  father's 
knees,  to  shape  their  young  lips  to  the  utterance 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  239 


A  dilemma. 


of  oaths  and  blasphemy.  Now  all  these  disposi- 
tions, which  do  not  conflict  with  right  more  than 
they  do  with  each  other,  as  soon  as  they  cross 
the  threshold  of  the  school-room,  from  the  dif- 
ferent worlds,  as  it  were,  of  homes,  must  be 
'made  to  obey  the  same  general  regulations,  to 
pursue  the  same  studies,  and  to  aim  at  the  same 
results.  In  addition  to  these  artificial  varieties, 
there  are  natural  differences  of  temperament  and 
disposition. 

"  Again :  there  are  about  three  thousand  pub- 
lic schools  in  the  State,  in  which  are  employed, 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  about  five  thousand 
different  persons,  as  teachers,  including  both 
males  and  females.  Excepting  a  very  few  cases, 
these  five  thousand  persons  have  had  no  special 
preparation  or  training  for  their  employment, 
and  many  of  them  are  young  and  without  expe- 
rience. These  five  thousand  teachers,  then,  so 
many  of  whom  are  unprepared,  are  to  be  placed 
in  authority  over  the  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  thousand  children,  so  many  of  whom  have 
been  perverted.  Without  passing  through  any 
transition  state  for  improvement,  these  parties 
meet  each  other  in  the  school-room,  where  mutiny 
and  insubordination  and  disobedience  are  to  be 
repressed,  order  maintained,  knowledge  acquired. 
He,  therefore,  who  denies  the  necessity  of  resort- 
ing to  punishment,  in  our  schools, — and  to  cor- 
poral punishment,  too, — virtually  affirms  two 
things  : — first,  that  this  great  number  of  children. 


240  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 


jSTeither  horn  to  be  chosen.— A  miracle. 


scooped  up  from  all  places,  taken  at  all  ages  and 
in  all  conditions,  can  be  deterred  from  the  wrong 
and  attracted  to  the  right  without  punishment ; 
and  secondly,  he  asserts  that  the  five  thousand 
persons  whom  the  towns  and  districts  employ  to 
keep  their  respective  schools,  are  now,  and  in 
the  present  condition  of  things,  able  to  accom- 
plish so  glorious  a  work.  Neither  of  these  prop- 
ositions am  I  at  present  prepared  to  admit.  If 
there  are  extraordinary  individuals — and  we  know 
there  are  such — so  singularly  gifted  with  talent 
and  resources,  and  with  the  divine  quality  oi 
love,  that  they  can  win  the  affection,  and,  by 
controlling  the  heart,  can  control  the  conduct  of 
children,  who,  for  years,  have  been  addicted  to 
lie,  to  cheat,  to  swear,  to  steal,  to  fight, —  still  I 
do  not  believe  there  are  now  five  thousand  such 
individuals  in  the  State,  whose  heavenly  services 
can  be  obtained  for  this  transforming  work. 
And  it  is  useless,  or  worse  than  useless,  to  say, 
that  such  or  such  a  thing  can  be  done,  and  done 
immediately,  without  pointing  out  the  agents  by 
whom  it  can  be  done.  One  who  affirms  that  a 
thing  can  be  done,  without  any  reference  to  the 
persons  who  can  do  it,  must  be  thinking  of  mira- 
cles. If  the  position  were,  that  children  viay  be 
so  educated  from  their  birth,  and  teachers  may 
be  so  trained  for  their  calling,  as  to  supersede 
the  necessity  of  corporal  punishment,  except  in 
cases  decidedly  monstrous,  then  I  should  have 
no  doubt  of  Hs  truth ;  but  such  a  position  must 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  241 


Divisions  in.  district.— East  end.— "West  end.— "We  will  see." 

have  reference  to  some  future  period,  which  we 
should  strive  to  hasten,  but  ought  not  to  an- 
ticipate." 

Aside  from,  the  causes  demanding  punishment, 
so  ably  portrayed  in  the  passage  just  quoted, 
there  is  still  another,  growing  out  of  divisions  and 
quarrels  in  the  district.  It  is  by  no  means  uncom- 
mon, in  our  districts,  owing  to  some  local  matter, 
or  to  some  disunion  in  politics  or  religion,  for  the 
people  to  be  arrayed,  the  one  part  against  the  other. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  upper  road  are  jealous  of 
the  dwellers  on  the  lower  road  ;  the  hill  portion  of 
the  district  is  aggrieved  by  the  influence  of  the 
valley  portion  ;  the  "  east  end "  complains  of  the 
selfishness  of  the  "west  end,"'  and  so  of  the  north 
and  south.  Whenever  a  school-house  is  to  be 
built,  these  different  interests  are  aroused,  and  a 
protracted  and  baleful  quarrel  is  the  result.  One 
party  "carries  the  day"  by  the  force  of  numbers, 
but  the  prosperity  of  the  school  is  impaired  for 
years.  At  every  district  meeting,  there  will  be 
the  same  strife  for  the  mastery.  If  one  divis- 
ion gains  the  power,  the  other  bends  its  ener- 
gies to  cripple  the  school,  and  to  annoy  the 
teacher  who  may  be  employed  by  the  dominant 
party,  however  excellent  or  deserving  he  may  be. 
"We  will  see,"  say  those  who  find  themselves  in 
the  minority,  "  we  will  see  whether  this  man  can 
Keep  our  school  as  well  as  it  was  done  last  year 
by  our  master."  This  is  uttered  in  presence  of 
their    children — perhaps    their    half-grown    sons, 


242  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Disobedience  encouraged. — The  teaclier's  course. 

who  will  be  very  ready  to  meet  their  new  teacher 
with  prejudice,  and  to  act  out  the  misgivings  of 
their  parents  as  to  his  success.  When  the  teacher 
first  enters  the  school,  he  is  met  by  opposition, 
even  before  he  has  time  to  make  an  impression 
for  good ;  opposition,  which  he  can  scarcely  hope 
to  surmount  as  long  as  it  is  thus  encouraged  at 
home.  Now,  what  shall  he  do?  Shall  he  yield 
the  point,  abandon  the  idea  of  authority,  and  en- 
deavor to  live  along  from  day  to  day,  in  the  hope 
of  a  more  comfortable  state  of  things  by  and  by  ? 
He  may  be  sure  that  matters  will  daily  grow 
worse.  Shall  he  give  up  in  despair  and  leave 
the  school  to  some  successor?  This  will  only 
strengthen  the  opposition  and  make  it  more  vio- 
lent when  the  successor  shall  be  appointed.  It  is 
but  putting  the  difficulty  one  step  farther  off. 
Besides,  if  the  teacher  does  thus  give  up,  and 
leave  the  school,  he  loses  his  own  reputation  as  a 
man  of  energy,  and,  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
who  perhaps  may  not  know — or  care  to  know — al] 
the  circumstances,  he  is  held  ever  after  as  incom- 
petent for  the  office. 

Now,  it  would  be  very  gratifying  if  the  teacher, 
under  any  or  all  of  these  difficulties,  could  possess 
the  moral  power  to  quell  them  all  by  a  look  or 
by  the  exercise  of  his  ingenuity  in  interesting  his 
pupils  in  their  studies.  Undoubtedly  there  are 
some  men  who  could  do  it,  and  do  it  most  tri- 
umphantly, so  as  to  make  their  most  zealous 
enemies,  in   a   few   days    their   warmest    friends. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  243 

Shall  he  yield?    JVb,  no.— Establish  authority. 

But  there  are  not  many  who  can  work  thus  at 
disadvantage.  What,  then,  shall  be  done?  Shall 
the  school  be  injured  by  being  disbanded,  and  the 
teacher  be  stigmatized  for  a  failure,  when  he  has 
been  employed  in  good  faith  ?  I  say  no.  He  has 
the  right  to  establish  authority  hy  corporal  inflic- 
tion;  and  thus  to  save  the  school  and  also  save 
himself.  And  more  than  this  ; — if  there  is  rea- 
sonable ground  to  believe  that  by  such  iuiliction 
he  can  establish  order,  and  thus  make  himself 
useful,  and  save  the  time  and  the  character  of 
the  school,  he  not  only  has  the  right,  but  he  is 
bound  by  duty  to  use  it.  The  lovers  of  order  in 
the  district  have  a  right  to  expect  him  to  use  it, 
unless  by  express  stipulation  beforehand,  they 
have  exempted  him  from  it.  I  repeat,  then,  that 
it  is  the  teacher's  duty  to  establish  authority ; 
"peaceably,  indeed,  if  he  may, — forcibly,  if  he 
must." 

I  ought  in  fairness  here  to  add,  as  I  have  be- 
fore hinted,  that  not  unfrequently  the  necessity 
for  corporal  infliction  exists  in  the  teacher  him- 
self. This  is  often  proved  by  a  transfer  of 
teachers.  One  man  takes  a  school,  and  can  only 
survive  his  term  by  the  exercise  of  whipping. 
He  is  followed  by  another  who  secures  good  order 
and  the  love  of  the  school  without  any  resort  to 
the  rod.  The  first  declared  that  whipping  was 
necessary  in  his  case  to  secure  good  order,  and 
truly;  but  the  necessity  resided  in  him,  and  not 
in    the    school.      So    it    often    does,  —  and    while 


244  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Daily  flogging  condemned.— Say  nothing  about  it. 

teachers  are  zealously  defending  the  rod,  they 
should  also  feel  the  necessity  of  improving  them- 
selves as  the  most  effectual  way  to  obviate  its 
frequent  use. 

When  authority  is  once  established  in  a  school, 
it  is  comparatively  easy  to  maintain  it.  There 
will,  of  course,  be  less  necessity  for  resorting  to 
the  rod  after  the  teacher  has  obtained  the  as- 
cendancy, unless  it  be  in  the  event  of  taking 
some  new  pupil  into  the  school,  who  is  disposed 
to  be  refractory.  I  have  but  little  respect  for  the 
teacher  who  is  daily  obliged  to  fortify  his  au- 
thority by  corporal  infliction.  Something  must 
be  fundamentally  wrong  in  the  teacher  whose 
machinery  of  government,  Avhen  once  well  in  mo- 
tion, needs  to  be  so  often  forcibly  wound  up. 

From  what  has  already  been  said,  it  will  be 
seen  that  I  do  not  belong  to  the  number  who 
affirm  that  the  rod  of  correction  sJiouId  never  he 
used  in  schools.  Nor  am  I  prepared  to  advise 
any  teacher  to  publish  beforehand  that  he  will 
not  punish  with  the  rod.  It  would  always  be 
wiser  for  the  teacher  to  say  nothing  about  it. 
Very  little  good  ever  comes  of  threatening  the 
use  of  it.  Threatening  of  any  sort  avails  but  little. 
A  teacher  may  enter  a  school  with  the  determina- 
tion to  govern  it,  if  possible,  without  force.  In- 
deed, I  should  advise  one  always  to  make  this 
determination  in  his  own  mind.  But  whenever 
such  a  determination  is  published,  the  probability 
of  success  is  very  much  diminished. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  245 


There  is  an  arm  of  power.— Proposed  substitutes.— Solitary  confinement. 

The  true  way  and  the  safe  way,  in  my  opin- 
ion, is  to  rely  mainly  on  moral  means  for  the 
government  of  the  school, — to  use  the  rod  with- 
out much  threatening,  if  driven  to  it  by  the  force 
of  circunastances,  and  as  soon  as  authority  is 
established,  to  allow  it  again  to  slumber  with  the 
tacit  understanding  that  it  can  be  again  awakened 
from  its  repose  if  found  necessary.  The  knowl- 
edge in  the  school  that  there  is  an  arm  of  power, 
m.ay  prevent  any  necessity  of  an  appeal  to  it ; 
and  such  a  knowledge  can  do  no  possible  harm 
in  itself.  But  if  the  teacher  has  once  pledged 
himself  to  the  school  that  he  will  never  use  the 
rod,  the  necessity  may  soon  come  for  him  to 
abandon  his  position  or  lose  his  influence  over  the 
pupils. 

As  much  has  been  said  against  the  use  of  the 
rod  in  any  case  in  school  government,  it  may  be 
proper  to  consider  briefly  some  of  the  substitutes 
for  it,  which  have  been  suggested  by  its  opposers. 

Some  have  urged  solitary  confinement.  This 
might  do  in  some  cases.  Undoubtedly  an  oppor- 
tunity for  reflection  is  of  great  use  to  a  vicious 
boy.  But  then  how  inadequate  are  the  means 
for  this  kind  of  discipline  in  our  schools.  Most 
of  our  school-houses  have  but  one  room.  In  such 
cases,  solitary  confinement  is  out  of  the  question. 
In  other  instances,  there  may  be  (as  there  always 
should  be)  a  room  not  constantly  devoted  to  the 
purposes  of  the  school.  Here  a  pupil  could  be  con- 
fined ;   and  I  have  no  objection  whatever  to  this 


246  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Its  futility.— Parental  folly. 

course,  provided  the  room  is  not  a  dark  one,  and 
its  temperature  can  be  comfortable.  But  even 
with  this  facility,  confinement  can  not  be  relied  on 
as  the  only  punishment,  because  if  offenses  should 
m.ultiply,  and  the  offenders  should  all  be  sent  to 
the  same  place,  then  confinement  would  soon 
cease  to  be  solitary !  And  suppose  some  philan- 
thropist should  devise  a  plan  of  a  school-house 
with  several  cells  for  the  accommodation  of  of- 
fenders ;  still  this  punishment  would  fail  of  its 
purpose.  The  teacher  has  no  power  to  confine  a 
pupil  much  beyond  the  limit  of  school-hours. 
This  the  obstinate  child  would  understand,  and 
he  would  therefore  resolve  to  hold  out  till  he 
must  be  dismissed,  and  then  he  would  be  the  tri- 
umphant party.  He  could  boast  to  his  fellows 
that  he  had  borne  the  punishment,  and  that, 
without  submission  or  promise  for  the  future, 
he  had  been  excused  because  his  time  had 
expired. 

This  substitute  is  often  urged  by  parents,  who 
have  tried  it  successfully  in  the  case  of  their  own 
children,  in  their  own  houses,  where  it  was  known 
that  it  could  of  course  be  protracted  to  any 
necessary  length.  Besides,  if  the  confinement 
alone  was  not  sufficient,  the  daily  allowance  of 
food  could  be  withheld.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, it  may  be  very  effectual,  as  undoubtedly 
it  often  has  been  ;  but  he  is  a  very  shallow  parent 
who,  having  tried  this  experiment  upon  a  single 
child,  with  all  the  facilities  of  a  parent,  prescribes 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT,  247 

Expiilsion.— Not  expedient.— Why  ? 

it  with  the  expectation  of  equal  success  in  the 
government  of  a  large  school. 

Others  have  urged  the  expulsion  of  such  schol- 
ars as  are  disobedient.  To  this  it  may  be  replied, 
that  it  is  not  quite  certain,  under  existing  laws, 
whether  the  teacher  has  the  right  to  expel  a 
scholar  from  the  common  schools;  and  some 
deny  even  the  right  of  the  school  officers  to  do  it. 
Whether  the  right  exists  or  not,  it  is  very  ques- 
tionable whether  it  is  ever  expedient  to  expel  a 
scholar  for  vicious  conduct ;  and  especially  in 
cases  where  there  is  physical  power  to  control 
him.  The  vicious  and  ignorant  scholar  is  the 
very  one  who  most  needs  the  reforming  influence 
of  a  good  education.  Sent  away  from  the  fount- 
ain of  knowledge  and  virtue  at  this — the  very 
time  of  need — and  what  may  we  expect  for  him 
but  utter  ruin?  Such  a  pupil,  most  of  all,  needs 
the  restraint  and  the  instruction  of  a  teacher 
who  is  capable  of  exercising  the  one  and  afford- 
ing the  other. 

But  suppose  he  is  dismissed,  is  there  any  rea- 
son to  hope  that  this  step  will  improve  the  cul- 
prit himself,  or  better  the  condition  of  the  school  ? 
Will  he  not  go  on  to  establish  himself  in  vice, 
unrestrained  by  any  good  influence,  and  at  last 
become  a  suitable  subject  for  the  severity  of  the 
laws,  an  inmate  of  our  prisons,  and,  perhaps,  a 
miserable  expiator  of  his  own  crimes  upon  the 
gallows?  How  many  youth — and  youth  worth 
saving,  too — have  been  thus  cast  out  perversely 


248  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Mr.  Mann  quoted.— "  Free  trade."— A  creed,  and  its  basis. 

to  procure  their  own  ruin,  at  the  very  time  when 
they  might  have  Iteen  saved  by  sufficient  energy 
and  benevolence,  no  mortal  tongue  can  tell !  Nor 
is  the  school  itself  usually  benefited  by  this 
measure.  "For  all  purposes  of  evil,"  Mr.  Mann 
justly  remarks,  "he  continues  in  the  midst  of 
the  very  children  from  among  whom  he  was 
cast  out ;  and  when  he  associates  with  them  out 
of  school,  there  is  no  one  present  to  abate  or 
neutralize  his  vicious  influences.  If  the  expelled 
pupil  be  driven  from  the  district  where  he  be- 
longs into  another,  in  order  to  prevent  his  con- 
tamination at  home,  what  better  can  be  expected 
of  the  place  to  which  he  is  sent,  than  a  recipro- 
cation of  the  deed,  by  their  sending  one  of  their 
outcasts  to  supply  his  place  ;  and  thus  opening  a 
commerce  of  evil  upon  free-trade  principles. 
Nothing  is  gained  while  the  evil  purpose  re- 
mains in  the  heart.  Reformation  is  the  great 
desideratum ;  and  can  any  lover  of  his  country 
hesitate  between  the  alternative  of  forcible  sub- 
jugation and  victorious  contumacy?" 

From  all  that  has  been  said,  it  will  be  seen 
that  I  do  not  hesitate  to  teach  that  corporal  inflic- 
tion is  one  of  the  justifiable  means  of  establishing 
authority  in  the  schoolroom.  To  this  conclusion 
I  have  come,  after  a  careful  consideration  of  the 
subject,  modified  by  the  varied  experience  of 
nearly  twenty  years,  and  by  a  somewhat  atten- 
tive observation  of  the  workings  of  all  the  plans 
which  have  been  devised   to   avoid   its  use  or  to 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  249 

The  Scriptures.— Limitations.— The  best  thing. 

supply  its  place.  And  although  I  do  not  under- 
stand the  Scriptures,  and  particularly  the  writ- 
ings of  Solomon,  to  recommend  a  too  frequent 
and  ill-considered  use  of  it,  I  do  not  find  any 
thing  in  the  letter  or  spirit  of  Christianity  incon- 
sistent with  its  proper  application.  It  is  the 
abuse,  and  not  the  use  of  the  rod,  against  which 
our  better  feeling,  as  well  as  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity, revolts.  It  is  the  abuse  of  the  rod,  or 
rather  the  abuse  of  children  under  the  infliction 
of  the  rod,  that  first  called  forth  the  discussion 
referred  to,  and  awakened  the  general  opposition 
to  its  use.  I  am  free  to  admit  there  has  been 
an  egregious  abuse  in  'this  matter,  and  that  to 
this  day  it  is  unabated  in  many  of  our  schools. 
I  admit,  too,  that  abuse  very  naturally  accom- 
panies the  use  of  the  rod,  and  that  very  great 
caution  is  necessary  in  those  who  resort  to  it, 
lest  they  pervert  it.  I  feel  called  upon,  there- 
fore, before  leaving  this  subject,  to  throw  out, 
for  the  consideration  of  the  young  Teacher  par- 
ticularly, a  few  hints  to  regulate  the  infliction 
of  chastisement,  under  the  head  of 

SECTION    v.— LIMITATIONS    AND    SUGGESTIONS. 

1.  The  teacher  should  be  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  the  rod  is  the  best  thing  for  the 
specific  case,  before  he  determines  to  use  it.  Nor 
should  he  hastily  or  capriciously  come  to  this 
conviction.     He    should    carefull}^    and    patiently 


250  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Never  in  anger.— The  yotmg  Sliaker. 

try  other  means  first.  He  should  study  the  dis- 
position of  the  offender  and  learn  the  tendencies 
of  his  mind ;  and  only  after  careful  deliberation, 
should  he  suffer  himself  to  decide  to  use  this 
mode  of  punishment.  In  order  that  the  punish- 
ment should  be  salutary,  the  scholar  should  plainly 
see  that  the  teacher  resorts  to  it  from  deep  prin- 
ciple, from  the  full  behef  that  under  all  the  ciiv 
cumstances  it  is  the  hest  thing  that  can  'be  done. 
2.  The  teacher  should  never  he  under  the  ex- 
citement of  angry  passion  when  inflicting  punish- 
ment. This  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  Most 
of  the  abuses  before  spoken  of,  grow  out  of  a 
violation  of  this  fundamental  rule.  A  teacher 
should  never  strike  for  punishment  till  he  is 
perfectly  self-possessed,  and  entirely  free  from 
the  bitterness  which,  perhaps,  tinctured  his  mind 
when  he  discovered  the  offense.  It  was  a  wise 
remark  of  a  young  Shaker  teacher,  that  "no 
teacher  should  strike  a  child  till  he  co^dd  hold 
his  arm.'"  So  long  as  the  child  discovers  that 
the  teacher  is  under  the  influence  of  passion, 
and  that  his  lip  trembles  with  pent-up  rage, 
and  his  blood  flows  into  his  face  as  if  driven  by 
inward  fires  of  wrath,  he  looks  upon  him,  not  as 
his  friend  seeking  his  welfare,  but  as  his  enemy 
indulging  in  persecution.  This  will  call  forth  the 
evil  passions  of  the  child,  and  while  he  bears  the 
pain,  he  feels  no  real  penitence ;  and  very  likely, 
in  the  midst  of  his  suffering,  he  resolves  to  go 
and  do  the  same  again,  out  of  mere  spite. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  251 

Public  opinion.— In  presence  of  the  school— Seasons  for  it. 

It  is,  moreover,  of  great  consequence  in  the 
infliction  of  a  punishment,  that  the  teacher 
should  be  fully  sustained  by  the  public  opinion 
of  the  school.  He  can  never  expect  this  when 
he  loses  his  self-control.  K  the  pupils  see  that 
he  is  angry,  they  almost  instinctively  sympathize 
with  the  weaker  party,  and  they  associate  the 
idea  of  injustice  with  the  action  of  the  stronger. 
A  punishment  can  scarcely  be  of  an}^  good  ten- 
dency, inflicted  under  such  circumstances. 

3.  Corporal  punishment,  as  a  general  rule, 
should  he  inflicted  in  presence  of  the  school.  I 
have  before  advised  that  reproof  should  be  given 
in  private,  and  assigned  reasons  for  it,  which 
were,  perhaps,  satisfactory  to  the  reader.  But  in 
case  of  corporal  punishment,  the  offense  is  of  a 
more  public  and  probably  of  a  more  serious 
nature.  If  inflicted  in  private,  it  will  still  be 
known  to  the  school,  and  therefore  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  scholar  is  not  saved.  If  inflicted  in 
the  proper  spirit  by  the  teacher,  and  for  proper 
caiise,  it  always  produces  a  salutarj^  effect  upon 
the  school.  But  a  still  stronger  reason  for  mak- 
ing the  infliction  public  Ls,  that  it  puts  it  beyond 
the  power  of  the  pupil  to  misreprresent  t?oe 
teacher,  as  he  is  strongly  tempted  to  do  if  he  is 
alone.  He  may  misstate  the  degree  of  severity, 
and  mi-srepresent  the  manner  of  the  teacher ; 
and,  without  witnesses,  the  teacher  is  at  the 
mercy  of  his  reports.  Sometimes,  he  may  ridi- 
cule the  punishment  to  his  comrades,  and  lead 


252  SCHOOL     GOVEKNMENT. 

Punishment  delayed.— Reason  for  delay. 

them  to  believe  that  a  private  infliction  is  but  a 
small  matter;  again,  he  may  exaggerate  it  to  his 
parents,  and  charge  the  teacher  most  unjustly 
with  unprincipled  cruelty.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  safest  and 
most  effectual  way,  is  to  do  this  work  in  pres- 
ence of  the  school.  An  honest  teacher  needs  not 
fear  the  light  of  day ;  and  if  he  has  the  right 
spirit,  he  needs  not  fear  the  effect  upon  his 
other  pupils.  It  is  only  the  violent,  angry  pun- 
ishment that  needs  to  be  concealed  from  the 
general  eye,  and  that  we  have  condemned  as 
improper  at  any  rate. 

4.  Punishment  may  sometimes  he  delayed ;  and 
always  delayed  till  all  anger  has  subsided  in  the 
teacher.  It  is  often  best  for  all  concerned  to 
defer  an  infliction  for  a  day  or  more.  This  gives 
the  teacher  an  opportunity  in  his  cooler  moments 
to  determine  more  justly  the  degree  of  severity 
to  be  used.  It  will  also  give  the  culprit  time  to 
reflect  upon  the  nature  of  his  offense  and  the 
degree  of  punishment  he  deserves.  I  may  say 
that  it  is  generally  wise  for  the  teacher,  after 
promising  a  punishment,  to  take  some  time  to 
consider  what  it  shall  be,  whether  a  corporal  in- 
fliction or  some  milder  treatment.  If,  after  due 
and  careful  reflection,  he  comes  conscientiously 
to  the  conclusion,  that  bodily  pain  is  the  best 
thing, — while  he  will  be  better  prepared  to  inflict, 
the  pupil,  by  similar  reflection,  will  be  better 
prepared  to  receive  it  and  proflt  by  it. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  253 

The  instrument.  — Pimisliment  effectual.— Deliberation. 

5.  A  proper  instrument  should  be  used  and  a 
proper  mode  of  infliction  adopted.  No  heavy  and 
hurtful  weapon  should  be  employed.  A  light 
rule  for  the  hand,  or  a  rod  for  the  back  or  lower 
extremities,  may  be  preferred.  Great  care  should 
be  exercised  to  avoid  injuring  any  of  the  joints 
in  the  infliction  ;  and  on  no  account  should  a  hloiv 
he  given  upon  the  head. 

6.  If  possible,  the  punishment  should  he  made 
effectual.  A  punishment  that  does  not  produce 
thorough  submission  and  penitence  in  the  sub- 
ject of  it,  can  hardly  be  said  to  answer  its  main 
design.  To  be  sure,  in  cases  of  general  insubor- 
dination in  the  school,  I  have  said  that  punish- 
ment may  be  applied  to  one,  having  in  view  the 
deterring  of  others  from  similar  offenses.  But  such 
exemplary  punishment  belongs  to  extreme  cases, 
while  disciplinary  punishment,  which  has  mainly 
for  its  object  the  reforro.ation  of  the  individual 
upon  whom  it  is  inflicted,  should  be  most  relied 
on.  Taking  either  view  of  the  case,  it  should,  if 
possible,  answer  its  design,  or  it  would  be  better 
not  to  attempt  it.  The  teacher's  judgment,  there- 
fore, should  be  very  carefully  exercised  in  the 
matter,  and  all  his  knowledge  of  human  nature 
should  be  called  into  requisition.  If,  after  care- 
ful and  conscientious  deliberation,  he  comes  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  infliction  of  pain  is  the 
best  thing,  and  to  the  belief  that  he  can  so  in- 
flict it  as  to  show  himself  to  the  school  and  to 
the  child,  in  this  act  as  in  all  others,  a  true  and 


254  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

Thorough  work.—"  Little  whippings." 

kind  friend  to  the  child, — then  he  is  justified  in 
making  the  attempt ;  and  having  considerately 
undertaken  the  case,  it  should  be  so  thorough  as 
not  soon  to  need  repetition. 

I  would  here  take  the  opportunity  to  censure 
the  practice  of  those  teachers  who  punish  every 
little  departure  from  duty  with  some  trifling 
appliance  of  the  rod,  which  the  scholar  forgets 
almost  as  soon  as  the  smarting  ceases.  Some 
instructors  carry  about  with  them  a  rattan  or 
stick,  in  order  to  have  it  ready  for  appliance 
as  soon  as  they  see  any  departure  from  their 
commands.  The  consequence  is,  they  soon  come 
to  a  frequent  and  inconsiderate  use  of  it,  and 
the  pupils  by  habit  become  familiar  with  it,  and 
of  course  cease  to  respect  their  teacher  or  to 
dread  his  punishments.  I  have  seen  so  much  of 
this,  that  whenever  I  see  a  teacher  thus  ^^  armed 
and  equipped^''  I  infer  at  once  that  his  school  is 
a  disorderly  one,  an  inference  almost  invariably 
confirmed  by  a  few  minutes'  observation.  My 
earnest  advice  to  all  young  teachers  would  be, 
next  to  the  habit  of  scolding  incessantly,  avoid 
the  habit  of  resorting  to  the  rod  on  every  slight 
occasion.  When  that  instrument  is  not  demanded 
for  some  special  exigency,  some  great  occasion 
or  some  high  purpose,  allow  it  to  slumber  in  a 
private  corner  of  your  desk,  not  again  to  be 
called  into  activity  till  some  moral  convulsion 
shall  disturb  its  quiet  repose. 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  255 

How  to  discTiBS  this  subject.— Experience  of  very  yoving  men. 

I  have  a  single  caution  to  give  in  regard  to 
the  discussion  of  this  subject,  which  in  all  our 
educational  gatherings  occupies  so  much  time 
and  talent.  It  is  this  -.—Do  not  adopt  a  general 
principle  from  too  few  inductions.  There  is  an 
old  proverb  that  declares,  "  One  swallow  does  not 
make  a  summer."  Young  teachers  are  very  prone 
to  rely  on  the  experience  of  a  single  term.  If 
they  have  kept  one  term  without  corporal  pun- 
ishment, they  are  very  likely  to  instruct  their 
seniors  with  their  experience;  and  if  they  have 
happened  to  be  so  situated  as  to  be  compelled  to 
save  themselves  by  the  rod,  why  then,  too,  their 
experience  forever  settles  the  question.  It  re- 
quires the  experience  of  more  than  one,  or  two, 
or  three  schools,  to  enable  a  man  to  speak  dog- 
matically on  this  subject ;  and  I  always  smile 
when  I  hear  men,  and  sometimes  very  young 
men,  who  have  niever  kept  school  in  their  lives, 
perhaps,  or  at  most  but  a  single  term,  speaking 
as  with  the  voice  of  authority.  Experience  is 
indeed  one  of  our  safest  guides  in  this  as  in 
every  other  matter ;  but  they  who  tell  their 
experience  should  at  least  wait  till  they  have 
that  ivhich  is  worthy  to  be  told. 

There  is  another  point.  It  is  quite  fashion- 
able at  the  present  day,  whenever  this  subject  is 
to  be  discussed,  to  propose  the  matter  in  the 
form  of  a  resolution;  as,  "Resolved,  that  no  per- 
son is  fit  to  be  employed  as  a  teacher,  who  can 
not   govern   his   scholars   by   holier   means   than 


256  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 


Resolutions.— A  false  position.— Erench  resolution. 

bodily  chastisement";  or,  "Resolved,  that  no  limit 
should  be  set  to  the  teacher's  right  to  nse  the 
'rod  of  correction,'  and  that  they  who  denounce 
the  teachers  for  resorting  to  it  are  unworthy  of 
our  confidence  in  matters  of  education."  Now 
whoever  presents  the  question  in  this  form, 
assumes  that  he  has  drawn  a  line  through  the 
very  core  of  the  truth ;  and  he  undertakes  to 
censure  all  those  who  are  unwilling  to  square  their 
opinions  by  the  line  thus  drawn.  In  the  discus- 
sion, a  man  must  take  one  side  or  the  other  of  the 
question  as  it  is  proposed,  and  consequently  he 
may  take  a  false  position.  The  better  way  would 
be  to  present  the  whole  subject  as  matter  of  free 
remark,  and  thus  leave  every  one  to  present  his 
own  views  honestly  as  they  lie  in  Ms  own  mind. 
In  this  way  no  one  is  pledged  to  this  or  that 
party,  but  is  left  unprejudiced  to  discover  and 
embrace  the  truth  wherever  it  is  found. 

It  should  moreover  be  remembered,  that  re- 
solving by  the  vote  of  a  meeting  in  order  to 
force  public  opinion,  can  never  affect  the  truth. 
A  few  impious,  heaven-daring  men  in  France, 
at  one  of  their  revels,  once  resolved,  "There  is 
NO  God  I  " — but  did  this  blasphemous  breath  efface 
the  impress  of  Deity  on  all  this  fair  creation  of 
his  power  ?  And  when  they  rose  from  their  vile 
debauch,  and  sought  with  tottering  step  to  leave 
the  scene  of  madness  and  to  court  the  dim  for- 
getfulness  of  sleep, — rolled  not  the  shining  orbs 
in  heaven's  high   arch   above   them   as  much  in 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  257 

A  more  excellent  way.— Higher  motives  first. 

duty  to  His  will,  as  when  they  sang  together  to 
usher  in  creation's  morning  ?  So  it  will  ever  be. 
Men  may  declare,  and  resolve  as  they  please ; 
but  truth  is  eternal  and  unchangeable :  and  they 
are  the  wisest  men  who  modestly  seek  to  find 
her  as  she  is,  and  not  as  their  perverted  imag- 
inations would  presume  to  paint  her. 

Yet,  after  all,  in  the  government  of  schools, 
there  is  a  more  excellent  way.  There  are  usually 
easier  avenues  to  the  heart,  than  that  which  is 
found  through  the  integuments  of  the  body. 
Happy  is  that  teacher  who  is  so  skillful  as  to  find 
them  ;  and  gladly  would  I  welcome  the  day  when 
the  number  of  such  skillful  and  devoted  teachers 
should  render  any  further  defense  of  the  rod  su- 
perfluous. Although  I  believe  that  day  has  not 
yet  arrived,  still,  in  the  meantime,  I  most  ear- 
nestly urge  all  teachers  to  strive  to  reach  the 
higher  motives  and  the  finer  feelings  of  the 
young,  and  to  rely  mainly  for  success,  not 
upon  appeals  to  fear  and  force,  but  upon  the 
power  of  conscience  and  the  law  of  reciprocal 
affection. 

As  I  have  placed  the  higher  motives  and  the 
more  desirable  means  first  in  order  in  these  re- 
marks on  government,  so  I  would  always  have 
them  first,  and  perseveringly  employed  by  the 
teacher;  and  if,  by  earnestness  in  his  work,  by 
unfeigned  love  for  the  young,  by  diligence  in  the 
study    of    their    natures    and    the    adaptation    of 


258  SCHOOL     GOVEENMENT. 

Mintmiiin  the  maximum.— Three  essential  points. 

means  to  ends,  which  true  benevolence  is  sure  to 
suggest,  he  can  govern  successfully  without  cor- 
poral punishment — as  in  a  large  proportion  of 
cases  I  believe  it  can  be  done — none  will  rejoice 
more  than  I  at  such  a  desirable  result ; — and  I 
most  cordially  subscribe  to  the  principle  so  hap- 
pily stated  by  another,  that  in  the  government 
of  schools,  if  thorough  obedience  be  but  secured 
and  order  maintained,  other  things  being  equal, 
"the  minimum  of  punishment  is  the  maximum  of 
excellence." 

The  three  essential  points  of  school  manage- 
ment are  organization,  government,  and  instruc- 
tion. The  final  purpose  of  a  school  is  the  in- 
struction of  its  pupils ;  but  to  this  end  the 
school  must  first  be  organized ;  but  that  the  or- 
ganization m.ay  be  preserved,  there  must  be  some 
system  of  government,  or  discipline.  The  condi- 
tion under  which  the  integrity  of  an  organiza- 
tion can  be  preserved,  is  obedience  to  authority. 
In  some  way  the  wills  of  the  governed  must  fol- 
low the  lead  of  the  one  will  that  governs.  In 
the  last  analysis,  the  direction  of  human  wills 
depends  on  the  deft  manipulation  of  motive. 
Motives  are  of  two  sorts ;  they  are  either  attract- 
ive or  propulsive.  There  is  either  something 
ahead  of  us,  inviting  us  forward ;  or  there  is  a 
stimulus  behind  us,  urging  us  forward.  The  at- 
tractive motives  are  the  more  economical,  and 
the  ingenuity  of  the  teacher  should  be  taxed  to 
discover  them   and  to   employ  them.    But  when 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  259 

Motives.— A  commeiidable  feature. 

these  fail,  as  they  sometiraes  will,  then  the  pro- 
pulsion, or  painful  motives,  must  be  employed ; 
the  least  painful  first,  but,  in  the  last  resort,  as 
painful  as  may  be  necessary  to  secure  obedience 
while  the  pupil  is  allowed  to  retain  his  member- 
ship in  the  school.  When  the  limit  of  painful 
stimulation  has  been  reached,  membership  must 
cease,  through  suspension  or  expulsion.  This 
limit  is  determined  by  public  opinion  or  by 
law. 

The  classification  or  gradation  of  motives  may 
be  exhibited  as  follows : 


1.  Love  of  order  and  right. 
1.  Attractive,  -j  2.  Regard  for  the  one  who  governs. 


J 

3.  Self-interest. 


MOTIVES,  -j  f  4.  Admonition. 

5.  Rebuke. 


2.  Propulsive. 


6.  Loss  of  privilege. 

7.  Fear  of  punishment. 


A  characteristic  and  very  commendable  feat- 
ure of  modern  school  discipline,  is  the  large  use 
that  is  made  of  the  attractive  motives ;  but  with 
this  better  practice,  there  is  sometimes  joined  the 
false  assumption  that  this  mode  of  government 
is  adequate  for  all  cases.  In  actual  practice  it 
often  fails,  and  then  there  are  but  two  courses  tc 
pursue ;  either  the  disobedient  pupil  must  lose 
his  membership  in  the  school,  or  some  form  of 
painful  stimulatign  must  be  employed.  For  the 
teacher,  expulsion  would  doubtless  be  the  pref- 
erable   alternative ;    but,    in    most    cases,    public 


260  SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT. 

A  disputed  question.— Manner  of  censure. 

opinion  will  not  justify  expulsion  save  as  a  last 
resort. 

It  is  a  disputed  question  in  the  theory  of  the 
school,  whether  the  exemplary  or  the  remedial 
element  in  punishment  should  be  kept  uppermost 
in  the  thought  of  the  disciplinarian.  If  we  con- 
ceive that  the  organization  is  superior  to  the 
units  that  may  chance  to  compose  it,  and  that 
the  units  are  to  be  affected  mainly  through  the 
working  of  the  organization,  then  the  exemplary 
element  in  punishment  becomes  prominent,  and 
a  pupil  may  suffer  chastisement,  even  when  it  is 
probable  that  his  amendment  may  not  be  directly 
promoted  by  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the  remedial 
element  in  punishment  assumes  the  first  place 
when  the  individual,  rather  than  the  organi- 
zation, holds  the  first  place  in  thought.  In  the 
State,  the  exemplary  character  of  punishment 
is  primary  and  almost  supreme,  while  in  the 
family,  the  remedial  character  is  chief ;  and 
as  the  school  mediates  between  the  State  and 
the  family,  the  two  elements  stand  nearly  in 
equipoise. 

In  the  employment  of  censure,  it  should  be 
noted  that  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  such 
charges  as  "You  have  told  a  falsehood,"  and  "You 
are  a  liar."  The  first  is  an  impeachment  of  con- 
duct ;  the  second,  of  character.  In  extreme  cases, 
it  may  sometimes  be  justifiable  to  make  censure 
general ;  but  in  all  ordinary  cases  it  ought  to  be 
specific.    Thus  Richter  says:  "What  is  to  be  fol- 


SCHOOL     GOVERNMENT.  261 

A  rule  of  prudence. 

lowed  as  a  rule  of  prudence,  yea,  of  justice,  toward 
grown-up  people,  should  be  much  more  observed 
toward  children ;  namely,  that  one  should  never 
judgingly  declare,  for  instance,  'You  are  a  liar,' 
or  even,  'You  are  a  bad  boy,'  instead  of  saying, 
'You  have  told  an  untruth,'  or  'You  have  done 
wrong.'"     (Levana,  p.  114.) 


CHAPTER    XI. 

SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

EVERY  teacher,  before  opening  a  school, 
should  have  some  general  plan  in  his 
mind,  of  what  he  intends  to  accomplish.  In 
every  enterprise  there  is  great  advantage  to  be 
derived  from  forethought, — and  perhaps  nowhere 
is  the  advantage  greater  than  in  the  business  of 
teaching.  The  day  of  opening  a  school  is  an 
eventful  day  to  the  young  teacher.  A  thousand 
things  crowd  upon  him  at  the  same  time,  and 
each  demands  a  prompt  and  judicious  action  on 
his  part.  The  children  to  the  number  of  half  a 
hundred,  all  turn  their  inquiring  eyes  to  him  for 
occupation  and  direction.  They  have  come  full 
of  interest  in  the  prospects  of  the  new  school, 
ready  to  engage  cheerfully  in  Avhatever  plans  the 
teacher  may  have  to  propose ;  and,  I  was  about 
to  sa^^,  just  as  ready  to  arrange  and  carry  into 
effect  their  owrt  plans  of  disorder  and  misrule,  if 
they,  unhappily  for  him  and  for  themselves,  find 
he  has  no  system  to  introduce. 

What  a  critical — what  an  eventful  moment  is 
this  first  day  of  the  term  to  ail  concerned  i  The 
teacher's  success  and  usefulness, — nay,  his  repu- 
tation as  an  efficient  instructor, —now  "hang  upon 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  263 

Angelic  solicitude.— Low  qualiiications. 

the  decision  of  an  hour."  An  hour,  too,  may 
almost  foretell  whether  the  precious  season  of 
childhood  and  youth  now  before  these  immortals, 
is  to  be  a  season  of  profit  and  healthful  culture 
Linder  a  judicious  hand,  or  a  season  of  wasted — 
perhaps  worse  than  wasted — existence,  under  the 
imbecility  or  misguidance  of  one  who  "  knows  not 
what  he  does  or  what  he  deals  with." 

If  angels  ever  visit  our  earth  and  hover  un- 
seen around  the  gatherings  of  mortals,  to  survey 
their  actions  and  contemplate  their  destiny  as 
affected  by  human  instrumentality,  it  seems  to 
me  there  can  be  no  spectacle  so  calculated  to 
awaken  their  interest  and  enkindle  their  sym- 
pathy as  when  they  see  the  young  gathering  to- 
gether from  their  scattered  homes  in  some  rural 
district,  to  receive  an  impress,  for  weal  or  woe, 
from  the  hand  of  him  who  has  undertaken  to 
guide  them.  And,  supposing  them  to  have  the 
power  to  appreciate  to  the  full  extent  the  conse- 
quences of  human  agency,  how  must  they  be 
touched  with  emotions  of  joy  and  gratitude,  or 
shudder  with  those  of  horror  and  dread,  as  they 
witness  the  alternations  of  wisdom  and  folly, 
seriousness  and  indifference,  sincerity  and  du- 
plicity, purity  and  defilement,  exhibited  by  him 
who  has  assumed  to  be  at  once  the  director  and 
exemplar  in  the  formation  of  human  character, 
at  such  an  important  period.  How  deplorable  is 
the  thought  that  aL  the  fond  hopes  of  the  parents, 
all  the  worthy  aspirings  cf  the  children,  and  all 


264  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

The  first  day.— A  suggestion.— Its  advantages. 

the  thrilling  interests  of  higher  beings,  are  so 
often  to  be  answered  by  qualifications  so  scanty, 
and  by  a  spirit  so  indifferent  in  the  teacher  of 
the  young.  How  sad  the  thought  that  up  to  this 
very  moment,  so  pregnant  with  consequences  to 
all  concerned,  there  has  been  too  often  so  little 
of  preparation  for  the  responsibility. 

I  fain  would  impress  the  young  teacher  with 
the  importance  of  having  a  plan  for  even  the 
first  day  of  the  school.  It  will  raise  him  sur- 
prisingly in  the  estimation  of  the  pupils  and  also 
of  the  parents,  if  he  can  make  an  expeditious 
and  efficient  beginning  of  the  school.  While  the 
dull  teacher  is  slowly  devising  the  plans  he  will 
hy  and  hy  present  for  the  employment  and  im- 
provement of  his  school,  the  children  taking 
advantage  of  their  own  exemption  from  labor, 
very  promptly  introduce  their  own  plans  for 
amusing  themselves  or  for  annoying  him ; — 
whereas,  if  he  could  but  have  his  own  plans 
already  made,  and  could  promptly  and  efficiently 
carry  them  into  execution,  he  would  forestall 
their  mischievous  designs  and  make  co-operators 
out  of  his  opposers. 

In  order  to  be  sure  of  a  successful  commence- 
ment, I  would  recommend  that  the  teacher 
should  go  into  the  district  a  few  days  before  the 
school  is  to  begin.  By  careful  inquiry  of  the 
trustees  or  the  school  committee,  he  can  ascer- 
tain what  is  the  character  of  the  district  and  the 
wants  of  the  school.     This  will  afford  him  con- 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  265 

Impoi'tant  inquiries.— Caution  against  meanness. 

siderable  aid.  But  he  should  do  more  than  this. 
He  would  do  "well  to  call  on  several  of  the  fami- 
lies of  the  district,  whose  children  are  to  become 
members  of  his  school.  This  he  can  do  without 
any  ceremony,  simply  saying  to  them  that,  as 
he  has  been  appointed  their  teacher,  he  is  desirous 
as  far  as  he  may  to  ascertain  their  wants,  in 
order  to  be  as  prompt  as  possible  in  the  organ- 
ization of  his  school.  He  will  of  course  see 
the  children  themselves.  From  them  he  can 
learn  what  was  the  organization  of  his  school 
under  his  predecessor ;  how  many  studied  geog- 
raphy, how  many  arithmetic,  grammar,  etc. ;  and 
he  can  also  learn  whether  the  former  organiza- 
tion was  satisfactory  to  the  district  or  not.  The 
modes  of  government  and  the  methods  of  inter- 
esting the  pupils  practiced  by  the  former  teacher, 
would  be  likely  to  be  detailed  to  him ;  and  from 
the  manner  of  both  parents  and  children,  he 
could  judge  whether  similar  methods  would  still 
be  desirable  in  the  district.  By  calling  on  several 
of  the  largest  families  in  this  way,  he  would 
learn  beforehand  very  accurately  the  state  of  the 
school  and  the  state  of  the  district. 

I  will  take  this  occasion  to  insist  that  the 
teacher  in  these  visits,  should  heartily  discourage 
any  forwardness,  so  common  among  children,  to 
disparage  a  former  teacher.  It  should  be  his 
sole  object  to  gain  useful  information.  He  should 
give  no  signs  of  pleasure  in  listening  to  any 
unfavorable    statements    as    to    his    predecessor ; 


266  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Making  personal  friends.— A  common  error. 

and  I  may  add  that  during  the  progress  of  the 
school,  he  should  ever  frown  upon  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  the  pupils  to  make  comparisons 
derogatory  to  a  former  teacher.  This  is  a  prac- 
tice altogether  too  prevalent  in  our  schools ;  and 
I  am  sorry  to  say  there  are  still  too  many  teach- 
ers who  are  mean  enough  to  countenance  it. 
Such  a  course  is  unfair,  because  the  absent  party 
may  be  grossly  misrepresented ;  it  is  dangerous, 
because  it  tends  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  detrac- 
tion in  the  young ;  and  it  is  mean,  because  the 
party  is  absent  and  has  no  opportunity  of  defend- 
ing himself. 

Another  important  advantage  of  the  visits 
proposed  would  be,  that  he  would  make  the 
acquaintance  of  many  of  the  children  beforehand, 
and  very  likely,  too,  if  he  should  go  in  the  right 
spirit  and  with  agreeable  manners,  he  would 
make  a  favorable  impression  upon  them,  and 
thus  he  would  have  personal  friends  on  his  side 
to  begin  with.  The  parents,  too,  would  see  that 
he  took  an  interest  in  his  employment ;  that  he 
had  come  among  them  in  the  spirit  of  his  voca- 
tion— in  the  spirit  of  earnestness,  and  they  would 
become  interested  in  his  success, — a  point  of  no 
small  importance. 

I  might  here  caution  the  teacher  against  a 
very  common  error.  He  should  not  confine  his 
visits  to  the  more  wealthy  and  influential  families. 
The  poor  and  the  humble  should  receive  his 
attentions  as  soon  as  the   rich.    From  the  latter 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  267 

Mr.  Abbot.— Early  at  the  school.— Wby? 

class  very  likely  a  large  portion  of  his  school 
will  come ;  and  it  is  wrong  in  principle  as  well 
as  policy  to  neglect  those  who  have  not  been  as 
successful  as  others  in  the  one  item,  of  accumu- 
lating property. 

On  the  day  of  opening  the  school,  he  should 
be  early  at  the  school-house.  Mr.  Abbott,  in  his 
Teacher,  has  some  valuable  suggestions  on  this 
point.  "  It  is  desirable,"  he  says,  "  that  the  young 
teacher  should  meet  his  scholars  at  first  in  an 
unofficial  capacity.  For  this  purpose,  he  should 
repair  to  the  school-room,  on  the  first  day,  at  an 
early  hour,  so  as  to  see  and  become  acquainted 
with  the  scholars  as  they  come  in,  one  by  one. 
He  may  take  an  interest  with  them  in  all  the 
little  arrangements  connected  with  the  opening 
of  the  school.  The  building  of  the  fire,  the  paths 
through  the  snow,  the  arrangement  of  seats, 
calling  upon  them  for  information  or  aid,  asking 
their  names,  and,  in  a  word,  entering  fully  and 
freely  into  conversation  with  them,  just  as  a 
parent,  under  similar  circumstances,  would  do 
with  his  children.  All  the  children  thus  addressed 
will  be  Dieased  with  the  gentleness  and  affability 
of  the  teacher.  Even  a  rough  and  ill-natured 
boy,  who  has  perhaps  come  to  the  school  with 
the  express  determination  of  attempting  to  make 
mischief,  will  be  completely  disarmed  by  being 
asked  pleasantly  to  help  the  teacher  fix  the  fire, 
or  alter  the  position  of  a  desk.  Thus  by  means 
of  the  half  hour  during  which  the  scholars  are 


268  SCHOOL     AKRANGEMENTS. 

It  should  be  habitual.— Roguery  promoted. 

coming  together,  the  teacher  will  find,  when  he 
calls  upon  the  children  to  take  their  seats,  that 
he  has  made  a  large  number  of  them  his  per- 
sonal friends.  Many  of  these  will  have  com- 
municated their  first  impressions  to  others,  so 
that  he  will  find  himself  possessed,  at  the  out- 
set, of  that  which  is  of  vital  consequence  in 
opening  any  administration — a  strong  party  in 
his  favor." 

It  will  be  well  for  the  teacher,  for  several 
days,  both  in  the  morning  and  afternoon,  to  be 
early  at  the  school-room.  He  can  thus  continue 
his  friendly  intercourse  with  the  pupils,  and  ef- 
fectually prevent  any  concerted  action  among 
them,  at  that  hour,  to  embarrass  his  government. 
Many  a  school  has  been  seriously  injured,  if  not 
broken  up,  by  the  scholars  being  allowed  to 
assemble  early  at  the  school,  with  nothing  to 
occupy  them  and  no  one  to  restrain  them.  Hav- 
ing so  convenient  an  opportunity  for  mischief, 
their  youthful  activity  will  be  very  likely  to  find 
egress  in  an  evil  direction.  Many  a  tale  of 
roguery  could  be  told,  founded  upon  the  incidents 
of  the  school-rOom  before  school-hours,  if  those 
who  have  good  memories  would  but  reveal  their 
own  experience  ; — roguery  that  never  would  have 
occurred  had  the  teacher  adopted  the  course 
here  suggested. 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  269 

A  day's  work.— "Wliat  shall  I  do?"— "Yes,  m'm."— Veto. 

SECTION    I.— PLAN   OF  THE  DAY'S   WORK. 

It  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  the  readers 
of  this  volume,  that  in  former  times  numerous 
teachers  were  accustomed  to  work  without  a  plan, 
attempting  to  do  theu^  work  just  as  it  haiJpened 
to  demand  attention,  but  never  taking  the  pre- 
caution to  have  this  demand  under  their  own 
control.  If  one  scholar  or  class  was  not  ready  to 
recite,  another  would  be  called ;  and  there  being 
no  particular  time  for  the  various  exercises,  the 
school  would  become  a  scene  of  mere  listless- 
ness,  and  the  teacher  would  hardly  know  how  to 
find  employment  for  himself  in  the  school. 

I  shall  make  this  point  clearer  by  an  example. 
Having  occasion,  in  an  official  capacity,  to  visit 
a  school  which  had  been  kept  by  a  young  teacher 
some  two  weeks,  she  very  naturally  asked — 
"What  shall  I  do  first,  this  afternoon?" 

"  Do  precisely  as  you  would  if  I  had  not  come 
in,"  was  the  reply. 

She  looked  a  little  perplexed.  At  length  she 
doubtingly  asked, — "Is  the  geography  lesson 
ready?" 

"Yes,  m'm"— "No,  m'm"— "Yes,  m'm,"— was 
the  ambiguous  reply  from  the  class.  There  was 
so  much  of  veto  in  the  looks  of  the  young  geog- 
raphers that  it  amounted  to  prohibition. 

"  Well,  are  the  scholars  in  Colburn's  arithmetic 
ready  ?  " 

This  was   said   with    more   of   hope ;    but   the 


270  SCHOOL    ARRANGEMENTS. 

A  hard  time.— A  hint  given. 

same  equivocal  answer  was  vociferated  from  all 
parts  of  the  room.  The  teacher,  placing  her 
finger  upon  her  lip,  looked  despairingly ;  but, 
recollecting  one  more  resort,  she  said, — "Is  the 
grammar  class  ready?" 

Again  came  the  changes  on  "Yes,  m'm"  and 
"No,  m'm." 

The  teacher  gave  up,  and  asked  what  she 
should  do.  She  was  again  told  to  go  on  as  usual 
for  that  afternoon.  It  was  a  tedious  afternoon 
to  her,  as  it  was  to  her  visitor.  She  at  length 
called  one  of  the  classes,  unprepared  as  many  of 
them  said  they  were,  and  the  exercise  showed 
that  none  but  those  who  said  "Yes,  m'm,"  were 
mistaken.  The  whole  afternoon  seemed  to  be 
one  of  pain  and  mortification  to  all  concerned ; 
and  I  fancied  I  could  almost  read  in  the  knitted 
brow  of  the  teacher  a  declaration  that  that  should 
be  her  last  school. 

At  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  a  single  hint 
was  suggested  to  her, — viz.,  that  she  should  make 
out  a  list  of  her  scholars'  duties,  and  the  times 
when  they  would  be  expected  to  recite  their  sev- 
eral lessons.  She  was  told  that  it  would  be  well 
to  explain  this  plan  of  her  day's  work  to  her 
school  in  the  morning,  and  then  never  again  ask 
whether  a  class  was  ready.  The  hint  was  taken  ; 
and  on  subsequent  visitations  the  several  classes 
were  ever  ready  to  respond  to  the  call  of  their 
instructor. 

Now  this  matter  is  no  unimportant  one  to  the 


SCHOOL    ARRANGEMENTS.  271 

Improvement.— A  case  supposed.— Classification. 

teacher.  Indeed,  I  judge  of  a  teacher's  ability 
very  much  by  the  wisdom  and  tact  with  which 
he  apportions  his  time  for  his  own  duties,  and 
divides  the  time  of  his  scholars  between  their 
studies  and  recitations. 

In  order  to  aid  the  young  teacher  in  forming 
a  plan  for  himself,  I  subjoin  a  scheme  of  a  day's 
duties  adapted  to  a  school  of  the  simplest  grade. 
Suppose  a  school  to  consist  of  thirty  scholars,  and 
that  the  teacher  finds,  by  inquiry  and  by  exam- 
ination, that  there  may  be  four  grand  divisions ; 
the  first,  which  he  designates  [A,]  may  unite  in 
pursuing  Reading,  Grammar,  Mental  Arithmetic, 
Written  Arithmetic,  and  Writing.  The  second, 
[B,]  can  pursue  Reading,  Spelling,  Writing,  Geog- 
raphy, Mental  and  Written  Arithmetic.  The 
third,  [C,]  attend  to  Reading,  Spelling,  Mental 
Arithmetic,  Writing,  and  Geography.  The  fourth, 
[D,]  consisting  of  the  small  pupils,  attend  to 
Reading,  Spelling,  Tables,  and  sundry  slate  exer- 
cises. 

Now,  it  is  very  desirable  that  as  much  time 
should  be  devoted  to  recitation  as  can  be  afforded 
to  each  class.  It  may  be  seen  at  once,  that  in 
certain  studies,  as  geography,  mental  arithmetic, 
and  spelling — the  teacher  can  as  well  attend  to 
fifteen  at  once  as  to  seven.  In  these  studies, 
unless .  the  disparity  in  age  and  attainment  is 
very  great,  two  divisions  can  very  properly  be 
united.  All  can  be  taught  writing  at  once,  thus 
receiving  the  teacher's  undivided  attention  for  the 


272  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Preliminary  considerations.— A  scheme. 

time.  Besides,  it  is  necessary  to  reserve  some 
little  time  for  change  of  exercises,  and  also  for 
the  interruptions  which  must  necessarily  occur. 
The  recesses  are  to  be  provided  for,  and  some 
time  may  be  needed  for  investigation  of  viola- 
tions of  duty,  and  for  the  punishment  of  of- 
fenders. All  this  variety  of  work  will  occur  in 
every  school,  even  the  smallest.  Now,  if  the 
teacher  does  not  arrange  this  in  accordance  with 
some  plan,  he  will  be  very  much  perplexed,  even 
in  a  small  school ;  and  how  much  more  in  a 
large  one !  He  will  do  well  to  consider  very 
carefully  the  relative  importance  of  each  exercise 
to  be  attended  to,  and  then  to  write  out  his 
scheme  somewhat  after  the  following  model.  It 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  studying  is  also  to 
be  provided  for,  and  that  it  is  just  as  important 
that  the  pupils  should  be  regular  in  this  as  in 
recitation.  Indeed,  without  such  regularity,  he 
can  not  expect  acceptable  recitations. 


SCHOOL      ARRANGEMENTS. 


273 


PROGRAM. 
For  the  above  supposed  circumstanceB. 


Time. 

M. 

Kecitntlons,  etc. 

Sttidien. 

9  to  9.15 

15 

Reading  Scbept  ,  &  Prater. 

0.15  to  9.40 

25 

D.  Reading,  Spelling,  or  Tables. 

A.  Reading ;  B.  Arith.  ; 
C.  Geography. 

9.40  to  9.43 

2 

Rest,  Change  of  Classes,  etc. 

9.42  to  10 

18 

A.  Reading. 

jB.  Arith.;    C.  Geog.  ; 
1     D.  Slates. 

10  to  10.5 

5 

J  Rest,  Singing,  or  Answer- 
1             iNG  Questions. 

10.5  to  10.25 

20 

B.  Arithmetic. 

J  A.  Gram. ;    C.  Geog. ; 
(     D.  Books  or  Cards. 

10.25  to  10.2S 

3 

Rest,  etc. 

10.28  to  10.48 

20 

B.  &  C.  Geography. 

A.  Gram.;    D.  Recess. 

10.48  to  11 

13 

Recess. 

11  to  11.15 
11.15  to  11..35 
11..35  to  11.50 

15 
20 
15 

D.  Reading,  etc. 

A.  Grammar. 

B.  &  C.  Spelling. 

j  A.  Gram.;  B.  M.  Arith.; 
1     C.  Spelling. 
JB.  Spelling;     C.  Spell- 
1     ing;    D.  Slates. 

J  A.  M.  Arith. ;   D.  Books 
(     or  Cards. 

11.50  to  12 

10 

General  Exercise. 

Intermission. 

2  to  2.15 

2.15  to  2.45 
2.45  to  3.10 

3.10  to  3.30 

15 

30 
25 

20 

D.  Reading,  Spelling,  Tables. 

A.  B.  &  C.  Writing. 

A.  &  B.  Mental  Arithmetic. 

C.  Reading. 

j  A.  Arith. ;    B.  Reading ; 
(     C.  Reading. 

D.  Slates. 

C.  M.  Arith. ;  D.  Recess. 
(A.  Arith.;    B.  Arith.; 
j     D.  Books,  etc. 

3.30  to  .3.40 

10 

Recess. 

3.40  to  4 

20 

B.  Reading. 

A.  Arith.;  CM.  Arith.; 
(     D.  Drawing. 

4  to  4.5 

5 

Rest,  or  Singing. 

4.5  to  4.25 
4.25  to  4.55 

20 
30 

C.  IVIental  Arithmetic. 
A.  Arithmetic. 

J  A.  Read. ;    B.  Arith.  or 
(     Draw.;    D.  Slates. 

i  B.  Arith.  or  Draw. ;    C. 
j     Draw. ;  D.  Dismissed. 

4.55  to  5 

5 

Gen.  Exer.  and  Dismission. 

274  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

A  clock.— Study  provided  for.— Drawing. 

REMABK8. 

In  the  foregoing  Program,  the  first  column 
shows  the  division  of  time,  and  the  portion 
allowed  to  each  exercise.  I  need  not  say  the 
teacher  should  be  strictly  punctual.  To  this  end 
a  clock  is  a  very  desirable  article  in  the  school. 
Both  teacher  and  pupils  would  be  benefited  by 
it.  .  The  second  column  shows  the  recitations,  ad- 
mitting, perhaps,  some  variety,  especially  in  case 
of  the  younger  children ;  while  the  third  shows 
the  occupation  of  those  classes  which  are  not 
engaged  in  recitation. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  classes  are  studying 
those  lessons  which  they  are  soon  to  recite ;  and, 
as  in  this  case  it  is  supposed  that  all  the  lessons 
will  be  learned  in  school,  each  one  has  been  pro- 
vided for.  It  would,  be  well,  however,  in  practice 
to  require  one  of  the  studies  to  be  learned  out  of 
school,  in  which  case  no  time  should  be  allowed 
to  the  study  of  that  branch  in  the  program. 

It  Avill  be  perceived  that  drawing  is  placed  as 
the  occupation  of  the  younger  classes  near  the 
close  of  the  afternoon.  This  is  based  upon 
the  supposition  that  the  teacher,  during  recess, 
has  placed  an  example  on  the  blackboard,  to  be 
copied  by  the  children  upon  their  slates.  This  is 
perhaps  the  most  effectual  way  to  teach  drawing 
to  children.  Those  more  advanced,  however,  may 
use  paper  and  pencil,  and  draw  from  an  engraved 
copy,  or  from  a  more  finished  specimen  furnished 


SCHOOL    ARRANGEMENTS.  275 

An  assistant.— A  large  school.— Alternation.— Thorough  work. 

from  the  teacher's  portfoHo.  It  is  essential  that 
the  teacher  should,  if  possible,  give  some  speci- 
mens of  his  own  in  this  branch,  I  have  seldom 
known  a  teacher  to  excite  an  interest  in  draw- 
ing, who  relied  altogether  upon  engravings  as 
models  for  imitation. 

It  should  be  remarked  further,  concerning 
such  a  program,  that  in  case  of  an  assistant 
in  school,  two  columns  under  the  head  of  Reci- 
tations should  be  formed — one  for  the  principal's 
classes,  and  one  for  the  assistant's.  If  there  are 
a  few  talented  scholars,  who  are  able  to  do  more 
than  their  class,  they  can  be  allowed  to  join  some 
of  the  classes  out  of  their  division,  or  they  may 
be  provided  with  an  extra  study,  which  will  not 
need  daily  recitation. 

In  case  the  school  is  much  larger  than  the 
one  supposed  above,  and  the  classes  necessarily  so 
numerous  as  to  make  the  time  allowed  to  each 
study  very  short,  then  the  principle  of  alterna- 
tion may  be  introduced ;  that  is,  some  studies 
may  be  recited  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fri- 
days,— and  some  other  studies,  with  other  classes, 
take  their  places  on  the  alternate  days.  It  is  de- 
cidedly better  for  the  teacher  to  meet  a  class,  in 
arithmetic,  for  instance,  especially  of  older  pu- 
pils, but  twice  or  three  times  a  week,  having 
time  enough  at  each  meeting  to  make  thorough 
work,  than  to  meet  them  daily,  but  for  a  time 
so  short  as  to  accomplish  but  little.  The  same 
remark  may  be  applied  to  reading,  and,  indeed, 


276  SCHOOL     AREANGEMENTS. 

Nibbling.— Difficulty  of  classifying.— Way  to  correct  a  scheme. 

almost  any  other  branch.  The  idea  is  a  mischiev- 
ous one,  that  every  class  in  reading,  or  in  any 
other  branch,  must  be  called  out  four  times  a 
day,  or  even  twice  a  day, — except  in  the  case  of 
very  young  children.  It  may  be  compared  to  nib- 
bling at  a  cracker  as  many  times  a  day,  without 
once  taking  a  hearty  meal, — a  process  which 
would  emaciate  any  child  in  the  course  of  three 
months.  These  scanty  nibblings  at  the  table  of 
knowledge,  so  often  and  so  tenaciously  practiced, 
may  perhaps  account  for  the  mental  emaciation 
so  often  discoverable  in  many  of  our  schools. 

The  difficulty  of  classifying  and  arranging  the 
exercises  of  a  school,  becomes  greater  as  the  num- 
ber of  teachers  to  be  employed  increases ;  and 
there  is  much  greater  inconvenience  in  allowing 
any  pupils  to  study  out  of  their  own  division, 
when  the  number  of  teachers  is  more  than  one  or 
two.  Few  are  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  arranging 
the  exercises  of  a  large  school,  but  those  who 
have  experienced  it.  It  can  he  done,  however ; 
and  it  should  always  be  done  as  soon  as  possible 
after  commencing  the  school. 

If  at  any  time  the  arrangement,  when  made,  is 
not  found  to  be  perfect,  it  is  not  wise  to  change  it 
at  once.  Let  it  go  on  a  few  days,  and  watch  its 
defects  with  great  care ;  and  in  the  meantime 
study,  out  of  school,  to  devise  a  better.  When 
this  has  been  accomplished,  and  committed  to 
paper,  and  perfectly  comprehended  by  the  teacher, 
it  may  be  posted  up  in  the  school-room,  and  the 


SCHOOL     ARRAKGEMENTS.  277 


Models  not  to  be  copied.— Teacher  must  think. 

day  announced  when  it  will  go  into  operation.  It 
will  soon  be  understood  by  the  pupils,  and  the 
change  can  thus  be  made  without  the  loss  of 
time. 

Times  for  reviews  of  the  various  lessons  could 
be  found  by  setting  aside  the  regular  lessons  for 
some  particular  day,  once  a  week,  or  once  in  two 
weeks ;  and  for  composition,  declamation,  etc.,  a 
half  day  should  be  occasionally  or  periodically 
assigned. 

If  I  have  devoted  considerable  space  to  this 
subject,  it  is  because  I  deem  it  of  very  great  im- 
portance to  the  teacher's  success.  With  one  other 
remark  I  dismiss  it.  These  models  are  not  given 
to  be  servilely  copied.  They  are  given  to  illus- 
trate the  great  principle.  The  circumstances  of 
schools  will  be  found  to  vary  so  widely,  that  no 
model,  however  perfect  in  itself,  would  answer 
for  all.  The  teacher  must  exercise  his  own  inge- 
nuity and  judgment  to  meet  his  own  wants  ;  and 
in  general  it  may  be  remarked  that  where  a 
teacher  has  not  the  skill  to  adapt  his  own  plans 
to  his  own  circumstances,  he  can  hardly  be  ex- 
pected to  succeed  in  carrying  out  the  plans  of 
another. 

The  following  general  rules  may  serve  a  good 
purpose  in  constructing  a  teacher's  time-table : 

1 .  The  recitations  of  the  youngest  pupils  should 
he  short  and  frequent.  As  the  power  of  continu- 
ous attention,  in  the  case  of  such  pupils,  is  weak, 
the   maximum   time  of  recitation  should  not  ex- 


278  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Exercises  for  morning.— Alternations.— Few  classes. 

ceed  fifteen  minutes ;  and  as  they  can  be  in- 
structed only  during  the  class  exercise,  not  yet 
having  learned  the  use  of  books,  they  should  be 
called  up  as  frequently  as  the  teacher's  time  will 
permit. 

2.  The  exercises  that  require  the  greatest  stress 
of  mental  effort  should  come  in  the  earlier  part 
of  the  day.  The  working  power  of  the  mind  is 
at  its  best  from  nine  till  twelve ;  and  so  a  subject 
like  arithmetic  should  come  by  preference  in  the 
forenoon,  while  penmanship,  drawing,  reading, 
etc.,  might  come  later  in  the  day. 

3.  Provide  alternations  that  afford  nest  or  an 
agreeable  change.  To  pass  from  an  exercise  in 
reasoning  to  another  where  memory  is  chiefly 
involved,  is  an  agreeable  change,  for  a  new  mode 
of  mental  activity  is  called  into  play,  while  the 
one  just  employed  has  a  period  of  rest. 

4.  Have  as  few  classes  as  possible.  The  reason 
for  this  rule  is  obvious,  but  it  is  often  disregarded. 
Cases  are  on  record  where  the  teacher  of  a  coun- 
try school  has  had  upward  of  forty  classes  during 
the  day.  One  such  teacher,  in  explanation  of  the 
apparent  impossibility  of  attending  to  so  many 
classes,  said  that  he  sometimes  heard  three  at  a 
time !  By  securing  a  uniformity  of  books,  by 
conducting  some  recitations  by  topic,  by  uniting 
two  classes  in  the  same  study,  and  by  reducing 
the  number  of  recitations  in  some  subjects  to 
two  or  three  per  week,  it  is  quite  possible  to  re- 
lieve an  over-charged  time-table. 


SCHOOL     AERANGEMENTS.  279 

Pupils  without  system.— Disorder. 

SECTION    II.— INTERRUPTIONS. 

In  every  school  consisting  of  pupils  of  different 
ages  and  circumstances,  there  will  be  more  or  less 
of  interruption  to  the  general  order  and  employ- 
ment of  the  school.  Some  of  the  pupils  have 
never  been  trained  to  system  at  hom.e ;  perhaps 
most  of  them  have  been  positively  taught  to  dis- 
regard it  at  school.  At  any  rate,  ''it  must  needs 
be,"  in  this  particular,  "that  offenses  come."  Nor 
should  the  teacher  lose  his  patience  though  he 
should  be  often  disturbed  by  the  thoughtlessness 
of  his  pupils.  He  should  expect  it  as  a  matter 
of  course,  and  exercise  his  ingenuity  as  far  as 
possible  to  prevent  it.  It  may  well  be  one  of  his 
sources  of  enjoyment  to  witness  an  improvement 
in  the  habits  of  his  pupils  in  regard  to  system. 

These  interruptions  proceed  from  various 
causes, — such  as  soliciting  leave  to  speak,  or  to 
go  out ;  asking  for  some  assistance  in  learning 
lessons,  or  for  leave  to  drink,  or  to  stand  by  the 
fire ;  requesting  the  teacher  to  mend  pens  or  to 
set  copies ;  disorderly  conduct  in  pupils,  making 
it  necessary,  in  his  judgment,  to  administer  re- 
proof or  punishment  in  the  midst  of  other 
duties, — and  sometimes  the  vociferous  and  im- 
patient making  of  complaints  by  one  scholar 
against  another. 

How  many  times  I  have  seen  a  teacher  in- 
volved in  indescribable  perplexity,  while  trying 
to  perform  the  duty  of  instruction,  and  to  "get 


280  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Scene  from  nature.— Biisiness  accumulates.— A  crisis.— A  pail  of  water. 


through"  in  time.  While  hearing  a  grammar 
lesson,  a  scholar  brings  up  his  atlas  to  have  some 
place  pointed  out  which  he  had  upon  one  trial 
failed  to  find.  The  teacher,  turning  to  look  for 
the  place,  is  addressed  with  "Please  mend  my 
pen,"  from  another  quarter.  Having  the  knife  in 
hand,  as  if  such  things  were  to  be  expected,  the 
obliging  teacher  takes  the  pen,  and,  holding  it 
between  his  eyes  and  the  atlas,  endeavors  to 
shape  its  nib  and  to  discover  the  city  at  the  same 
glance.  "  Jane  keeps  a  pinching  me," — vociferates 
a  little  girl  who  is  seated  behind  the  class. 
"  Jane,  Jane,"  says  the  teacher,  turning  away 
from  both  the  nib  and  the  city,  "Jane,  come  to 
me  instantly."  Jane,  with  the  guilty  fingers 
thrust  far  into  her  mouth,  makes  her  way  side- 
ling toward  the  teacher.  "May  I  go  out?" — 
says  John,  who  is  thinking  only  of  his  own  con- 
venience. "No,  no,"  answers  the  teacher,  a  little 
pettishly,  as  if  conscious  that  in  a  crisis  like  this, 
a  request  simply  to  breathe  more  freely  is 
scarcely  justifiable.  '^Please,  sir,  let  me  and 
Charles  go  out  and  get  a  pail  of  water  ?  "  This 
is  said  by  a  little  shrewd-looking,  round-faced, 
light-haired  boy,  who  has  learned  how  to  select 
his  time,  and  to  place  the  emphasis  upon  the 
"please,  sir.''  The  teacher,  by  this  time  being 
considerably  fretted  b}^  such  an  accumulation  of 
business  on  his  hands,  very  naturally  thinks  of 
the  refreshment  contained  in  a  pail  of  cool  water, 
and  very  good-naturedly  answers  the  little  urchin 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  281 

A  juncture  and  a  conjunction  !— A  truce.— Sunshine  again. 

in  the  affirmative,  who  most  Hkely  is,  by  this 
time,  more  than  half  way  out  of  the  door,  so 
confident  is  he  of  success.  Just  at  this  juncture, 
a  considerate-looking  miss  in  the  class  earnestly 
appeals  to  the  teacher,  to  know  if  the  word  next 
but  three  to  the  last,  was  not  a  common  noun, 
though  called  a  conjunction !  This  reminds  the 
teacher  that  several  words  have  been  parsed 
without  his  notice,  and  he  asks  the  class  to 
"  stop  there."  Glancing  at  his  watch,  he  dis- 
covers that  he  has  gone  three  minutes  beyond 
the  time  for  recess,  and  he  relieves  himself  by 
saying,  "boys  may  go  out."  This  grants  a  truce 
to  all  parties.  The  pen  goes  back  unmended ; 
the  atlas  with  its  sought  city  undiscovered ;  John 
"goes  out"  now  by  common  law,  taking  to  him- 
self the  credit  of  this  happy  release,  as  he  asked 
only  to  remind  the  master  that  it  was  time  for 
recess ;  Jane  takes  both  thumb  and  finger  from 
her  precious  little  mouth,  and  smiling,  seats  her- 
self by  the  side  of  her  late  challenger,  who  is  by 
this  time  more  than  half  repentant  of  her  own 
impatience  ;  the  shrewd-looking  urchin  and  his 
companion  return  with  the  refreshing  pail  of 
water, — the  boys  and  girls  gather  round  to  obtain 
the  first  draught,  while  the  little  chubby-faced 
lad  comes  forward,  clothed  in  smiles,  with  a  cup 
filled  with  the  cooling  liquid  on  purpose  for  the 
master ;  the  boon  is  accepted,  the  perplexed  brow 
becomes  placid,  and  all  is  sunshine  again. — This 
is  not   a  very  extravagant   picture   of   the   inter- 


282  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Lancaster's  motto. — System. 

ruptions  in  a  district  school.  Those  who  have 
been  brought  up  in  such  a  school  will  recognize 
the  fidelity  of  the  likeness,  as  it  has  been  drawn 
from  nature. 

Now,  whoever  has  any  knowledge  of  human 
nature,  and  of  school  teaching,  will  at  once  see 
that  this  is  all  wrong.  It  is  a  law  of  our  being, 
that  we  can  do  well  but  one  thing  at  a  time. 
He  who  attempts  more,  must  do  what  he  attempts 
but  very  imperfectly.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
wisdom  embodied  in  that  motto  which  used  to 
be  placed  in   the   old  Lancasterian  schools :     "  A 

I'IME    FOR    EVERY    THING,    AND     EVERY    THING    IN    ITS 

TIME."  It  should  be  one  of  the  mottoes  of  every 
teacher.  In  the  construction  of  the  plan  or 
program  for  the  day's  duties,  great  care  should 
be  taken  to  provide  for  all  these  little  things. 
If  whispering  is  to  be  allowed  at  all  in  school, 
let  it  come  into  one  of  the  intervals  between 
recitations.  If  assistance  in  getting  lessons  is  to 
be  asked  and  rendered,  let  it  be  done  at  a  time 
assigned  for  the  special  purpose.  As  far  as  pos- 
sible, except  in  extreme  cases,  let  the  discipline 
be  attended  to  at  the  time  of  general  exercise, 
or  some  other  period  assigned  to  it,  so  that  there 
shall  not  be  a  ludicrous  mixture  of  punishments 
and  instruction  during  the  progress  of  a  class 
exercise. 

It  is  pleasant  to  visit  a  school,  where  every 
thing  is  done,  and  well  done,  at  its  proper  time. 
Teaching    under  such   circumstances,  becomes  a 


SCHOOL     AREAN6EMENTS.  283 

Reverse.— Recesses.— How  often  ? 

delightful  employment.  But  where  all  is  confu- 
sion, and  the  teacher  allows  himself,  by  the  accu- 
mulation of  irregularities,  to  be  oppressed  and 
perplexed,  it  is  one  of  the  most  wearing  and  un- 
desirable vocations  on  earth.  The  teacher  goes 
to  his  lodgings  harassed  with  care,  oppressed  with 
a  consciousness  of  the  imperfection  of  his  labors, 
and  exhausted  by  the  unnatural  and  unwarrant- 
able tax  imposed  upon  his  mental  faculties.  He 
groans  under  the  burden  incident  to  his  calling, 
and  longs  to  escape  from  it,  never  once  dream- 
ing, perhaps,  that  he  has  the  power  of  relieving 
himself  by  the  introduction  of  system,  and  thus 
changing  his  former  habel  into  a  scene  of  quiet- 
ness and  order. 


SECTION    III. -RECESSES. 

In  speaking  of  the  arrangements  of  a  school, 
the  subject  of  recesses  demands  attention.  It  is 
the  belief  of  many  enlightened  instructors,  that 
the  confinement  in  most  of  our  schools  is  still 
too  protracted,  and  that  more  time  devoted  to 
relaxation  would  be  profitable,  both  to  the  phys- 
ical and  the  mental  constitution  of  our  youth. 
Some  have  urged  a  recess  of  a  few  minutes  every 
hour,  in  order  to  afford  opportunity  for  a  change 
of  position  and  a  change  of  air.  This  could  better 
be  done  in  schools  composed  only  of  one  sex,  or 
where  the  accommodation  of  separate  yards  and 
playgrounds  permits  both  sexes  to  take  a  recess 


284  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

One  each  session.— Ten  minutes  to  each  sex.— Separate  playgrounds. 

at  the  same  time.  Where  these  accom.modations 
are  wanting,  and  one  sex  must  wait  while  the 
other  is  out,  the  time  required  for  two  recesses, 
in  half  a  day,  for  the  whole  school,  could  scarcely 
be  afforded.  I  am  of  the  opinion,  as  our  schools 
are  at  present  composed,  that  one  recess  in  the 
half  day  for  each  sex  is  all  that  can  be  allowed. 
The  question  then  is,  how  can  that  one  recess  be 
made  most  conducive  to  the  purposes  for  which 
it  is  designed  ? 

1.  As  to  its  duration.  Ten  minutes  is  the 
least  time  that  should  be  thought  of,  if  the  chil- 
dren are  to  be  kept  closely  confined  to  study 
during  the  remainder  of  the  three  hours'  session ; 
that  is,  ten  minutes  for  each  sex.  It  would  be  a 
very  desirable  thing  if  our  school-houses  could  be 
so  furnished  with  separate  playgrounds  and  sep- 
arate out-door  accommodations,  that  both  sexes 
could  take  recess  at  the  same  time.  This  would 
save  much  time  to  the  district  in  the  course  of 
a  term,  and  it  would  also  give  opportunity  for 
thoroughly  ventilating  the  room  during  recess, 
while  it  would  afford  the  teacher  opportunity  to 
take  the  air,  and  overlook  the  sports  of  the  chil- 
dren to  some  extent, — a  matter  of  no  small  im- 
portance. 

Where  these  facilities  are  wanting,  and  the 
teacher  must  remain  within  to  preside  over  the 
one  half  of  the  school  while  the  others  are  out, 
he  may  still  give  at  least  ten  minutes  to  each 
sex,    contriving    to    employ    the    time    profitably 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  285 

Teaclier's  work  at  recess.— Proper  hour. 

within  doors.  He  may  reserve  this  time  for  set- 
tling such  difficulties  as  may  have  arisen  in  the 
school ;  he  may  administer  reproofs,  inflict  his 
punishments  if  any  are  necessary,  or  he  may 
spend  the  time  in  giving  assistance  to  the  pupils 
or  in  drawing  upon  the  blackboard  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  younger  pupils  as  they  come  in. 
In  a  large  school,  where  a  longer  recess  is  the 
more  necessary  on  account  of  the  bad  air  of  the 
school-room,  he  will  find  the  more  duty  to  be 
done  at  this  time  ;  so  that  in  any  event  the  time 
need  not  be  lost,  even  if  fifteen  minutes  be  al- 
lowed to  each  sex. 

2.  As  to  the  proper  lioui"  for  recess.  It  was 
an  old  rule  to  have  recess  when  "  school  was  half 
done.''  Indeed,  this  expression  was  often  used  as 
synonymous  with  recess  in  many  districts  twenty- 
five  years  ago.  It  is  now  generally  thought  better 
to  have  the  recess  occur  later,  perhaps  when  the 
school  session  is  two  thirds  past.  It  is  found  that 
children,  accustomed  to  exercise  all  the  morning, 
can  better  bear  the  confinement  of  the  first  two 
hours  than  they  can  that  of  the  third,  even 
though  the  recess  immediately  precedes  the  third. 
In  a  school  the  half-daily  sessions  of  which  are 
three  hours,  I  should  recommend  that  the  recess 
be  introduced  so  as  to  terminate  at  the  close  of 
the  second  hour.  As  far  as  possible,  it  would  be 
well  to  have  all  the  pupils  leave  the  room  at  the 
time  recess  is  given  them ;  and,  as  a  general 
thing,  they  should  not  ask  leave  to  go  out  at  any 


286  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Young  children.— Teachers  fail  in  assigning  lessons.— Not  too  long. 

other  time.  A  little  system  in  this  matter  is 
as  desirable  as  in  any  other,  and  it  is  quite  as 
feasible. 

In  a  school  composed  partly  of  very  young 
children,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  giving  such 
children  two  recesses  each  half  day.  Nor  is  there 
any  objection  to  such  a  course.  It  is  more  irk- 
some to  young  children  to  bear  confinement  than 
to  the  adult ;  especially  as  they  can  not  be  ex- 
pected to  be  constantly  occupied.  It  will  relieve 
the  teacher  very  much  to  have  the  children  go 
out  of  the  room  as  soon  as  they  become  fatigued ; 
and,  as  it  will  promote  their  own  health  and  hap- 
piness to  go,  it  is  very  justifiable  to  grant  them 
the  privilege.  This  may  properly  and  easily  be 
provided  for  upon  the  Program. 


SECTION   IV.— ASSIGNING   LESSONS. 

Many  teachers  fail  in  this  department.  Judg- 
ing of  the  difficulty  of  the  lesson  by  the  ease 
with  which  they  can  acquire  it,  even  in  a  text- 
book new  to  themselves,  they  not  unfrequently 
assign  more  than  can  possibly  be  learned  by  the 
children.  They  forget  that  by  long  discipline  of 
mind,  and  by  the  aid  of  much  previously  ac- 
quired knowledge,  the  lesson  becomes  compara- 
tively easy  to  them ;  they  forget,  too,  the  toil  a 
similar  lesson  cost  them  when  they  were  chil- 
dren. Now  the  effect  of  learning  a  lesson  poorly 
is  most  ruinous  to   the  mind  of  a  child.     He,  by 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  287 

Why?— Not  how  much,  but  how  well.— Good  habits  of  study. 

the  habit  of  missing  comes  to  think  it  a  snaall 
thing  to  fail  at  recitation.  He  loses  his  self- 
respect.  He  loses  all  regard  for  his  reputation  as 
a  scholar.  It  is  truly  deplorable  to  see  a  child 
fail  in  a  lesson  with  indifference.  Besides,  the 
attempt  to  acquire  an  unreasonable  lesson  induces 
a  superficial  habit  of  study, — a  skimming  over  the 
surface  of  things.  The  child  studies  that  he  may 
live  through  the  recitation ;  not  that  he  may 
learn  and  remember.  He  passes  thus  through  a 
book,  and  thinks  himself  wise  while  he  is  yet  a 
fool, — a  mistake  that  is  no  less  common  than 
fatal. 

The  motto  of  the  wise  teacher  should  be,  "  Not 
HOW  MUCH,  BUT  HOW  WELL."  He  should  always 
ask,  is  it  possible  that  a  child  can  master  this 
lesson,  and  probable  that  he  luill  ?  It  is  better 
that  a  class  should  make  but  very  slow  progress 
for  several  weeks,  if  they  but  acquire  the  habit 
of  careful  study,  and  a  pride  of  good  scholarship, 
— a  dread  of  failure, — than  that  they  should  ram- 
ble over  a  whole  field,  firing  at  random,  missing 
oftener  than  they  hit  the  mark,  and  acquiring  a 
stupid  indifference  to  their  reputation  as  marks- 
men, and  a  prodigal  disregard  to  their  waste  of 
ammunition  and  their  loss  of  the  game. 

In  assigning  lessons,  the  importance  of  good 
habits  of  study  should  be  considered,  and  the  les- 
sons given  accordingly.  At  the  commencement 
of  a  term  the  lessons  should  always  be  short,  till 
the  ability  of  the  pupils  is  well  understood,  and 


SCHOOL     AKRANGEMENTS. 


A  failiire  is  a  fault.— Reviews.— Prequent.— Why? 

their  habits  as  good  students  established.  As  the 
term  progresses,  they  can  be  gradually  lengthened 
as  the  capacity  of  the  class  will  warrant,  or  their 
own  desire  will  demand.  It  is  frequently  judi- 
cious to  consult  the  class  about  the  length  of  the 
lessons,  though,  to  be  sure,  their  judgment  can 
not  always  be  relied  on,  for  they  are  almost 
always  ready  to  undertake  more  than  they  can 
perform  well.  Assigning,  however,  somewhat  less 
than  they  propose,  will  take  from  them  all  excuse 
for  failure.  When  the  lesson  is  given,  a  failure 
should  be  looked  upon  as  a  culpable  dereliction 
of  duty,  as  incompatible  with  a  good  conscience 
as  it  is  with  good  scholarship.  This  high  ground 
can  not  be  taken,  however,  unless  the  teacher 
has  been  very  judicious  in  the  assignment  of  the 
lesson. 

SECTION   v.— REVIEWS. 

In  the  prosecution  of  study  by  any  class  of 
students,  frequent  reviews  are  necessary.  This  is 
so  because  the  memory  is  very  much  aided  by 
repetition  and  by  association.  But,  further,  the 
understanding  is  often  very  much  improved  by  a 
review.  Many  of  the  sciences  can  not  be  pre- 
sented in  independent  parts,  nor  can  all  the  terms 
employed  be  fully  appreciated  till  these  parts  are 
again  viewed  as  a  whole.  Many  things  which 
were  but  dimly  seen  the  first  time  they  were 
passed  over,  become  perfectly  clear  to  the  mind 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  289 

Application  of  principles  to  practical  life.— A  general  review. 

when  viewed  afterward  in.  connection  with  what 
follows  them. 

In  conducting  reviews,  regard  must  be  had  to 
the  age  and  character  of  the  pupils,  and  to  the 
branch  pursued.  In  arithmetic,  and,  indeed,  in 
mathematics  generally,  where  so  much  depends 
upon  every  link  in  the  great  chain,  very  frequent 
reviews  are  necessary.  Indeed,  almost  daily  it  is 
profitable  to  call  up  some  principle  before  gone 
over.  In  several  branches,  where  the  parts  have 
a  less  intimate  connection,  as  in  geography,  nat- 
ural philosophy,  and  some  others,  the  reviews  may 
be  at  greater  intervals.  It  would  be  well,  I  think, 
in  every  common  school,  to  have  a  review-day 
once  a  week.  This,  besides  the  advantages  already 
indicated,  will  lead  the  children  to  study  for  some- 
thing beyond  recitation.  Nor  is  it  enough  at  the 
re\dew,  that  the  questions  of  the  text-book  be 
again  proposed  to  the  children.  If  this  be  all,  they 
will  only  exercise  their  ^memories.  As  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  subject  should  be  called  up,  and  the  ap- 
plication of  principles  to  practical  life  should  be 
dwelt  upon.  If  this  course  is  expected  by  the 
learners,  they  will  think  during  the  week,  in  order 
to  anticipate  the  examination  of  the  teacher ;  and 
this  thinking  is  more  profitable  to  them  than  the 
knowledge  itself. 

It  is  always  well,  besides  the  periodical  reviews, 
to  have  a  general  review  at  the  close  of  any 
particular  study.  This  enables  the  teacher  to 
detect  any  false  conceptions  which  the  pupil  has 


290  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

An  exception. 

entertained  during  the  first  course.  He  can  now 
present  the  subject  as  a  whole,  and  view  one 
part  by  the  light  of  another.  In  natural  philoso- 
phy,  how  much  better  the  law  of  reflected  mo- 
tion can  be  appreciated  after  the  subject  of  optics 
has  been  studied,  in  which  the  doctrine  of  reflec- 
tion in  general  has  been  fully  discussed  and 
illustrated.  In  physiology,  what  light  is  thrown 
upon  the  process  of  growth  in  the  system,  by 
the  subsequent  chapters  on  absorption  and  secre- 
tion. How .  much  clearer  is  the  economy  of 
respiration  understood  when  viewed  in  connec- 
tion with  the  circulation  of  the  blood.  A  general 
review  then  is  an  enlightening  process,  and  it  is 
always  profitable,  with,  perhaps,  one  exception. 
When  it  is  instituted  with  reference  to  a  public 
examination,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  the 
evil  is  not  greater  than  the  good.  It  then  degen- 
erates into  an  effort  to  appear  well  at  a  particu- 
lar time :  again,  it  is  studying  in  order  to  recite ; 
and  I  look  upon  it  as  no  small  evil,  that  the 
mind  should  have  any  object  in  view  which 
comes  in  between  it  and  the  grand  desire  to 
Jcnow, — to  master  the  subject  for  its  own  sake, 
and  not  simply  for  the  purpose  of  being  able  to 
talk  about  it  on  one  great  occasion. 

SECTION    VI.— PUBLIC    EXAMINATIONS. 

It  is  now  the  usage  in  all  our  schools  to  have 
public  examinations, — generally  at  the  close  of  a 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  291 

Examinations  not  without  objections. 

term,  or  a  portion  of  a  term, — in  order  to  test,  in 
some  measure,  the  industry  and  skill  of  the  teacher, 
and  the  proficiency  of  the  pupils.  I  am  hardly 
prepared  to  oppose  this  usage,  because  I  am  in- 
clined to  believe  examinations  are  of  some  utility 
as  a  means  of  awakening  an  interest  in  the  parents 
of  the  children :  perhaps  they  do  something  to 
stimulate  school-officers,  and  also  to  excite  both 
teacher  and  pupils  to  greater  effort  during  the 
term.  Still,  public  examinations,  as  frequently 
conducted,  are  not  without  serious  objections. 

1.  They  certainly  can  not  be  looked  upon  as 
criterions  of  the  faithfulness  or  success  of  teach- 
ers. A  man  ivith  tact,  and  without  honesty,  may 
make  his  school  appear  to  far  greater  advantage 
than  a  better  man  can  make  a  better  school 
appear.  This  has  often  happened.  It  is  not 
the  most  faithful  and  thorough  teaching  that 
makes  the  show  and  attracts  the  applause  at  a 
public  exhibition.  It  is  the  superficial,  mechan- 
ical, memoriter  exercise  that  is  most  imposing. 
Who  has  not  seen  a  class,  that  recited  by  rote 
and  in  concert  at  a  celebration,  win  the  largest 
approbation,  when  many  of  the  individuals  knew 
not  the  import  of  the  words  they  uttered.  Names 
in  geography  have  been  thus  "said  or  sung," 
when  the  things  signified  were  to  the  children 
as  really  terrce  incognitce  as  the  fairy  lands  of 
Sindbad  the  Sailor. 

2.  Nor  can  such  exhibitions  be  claimed  justly 
to  indicate  the  proficiency  of  the  pupils.     Every 


292  SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS. 

Not  to  be  taken  as  indices  of  proficiency.— Encourage  deception. 

experienced  teacher  knows  that  the  best  scholars 
often  fail  at  a  public  examination,  and  the  most 
indolent  and  superficial  often  distinguish  them- 
selves. The  spectators,  not  unfrequently,  in  point- 
ing out  the  talent  of  the  school,  make  the  teacher 
smile  at  their  blunders. 

3.  They  present  a  strong  temptation  to  dis- 
honesty on  the  part  of  the  teacher.  Since  so 
much  stress  is  laid  upon  the  examination,  and 
particularly,  in  some  regions,  upon  the  Celebra- 
tion, where  several  schools  are  brought  together 
to  make  a  show  for  few  hours,  it  must  be  rather 
an  uncommon  man  who  will  have  sufficient  prin- 
ciple to  exhibit  his  school  as  it  is,  and  refuse  to 
make  those  efforts  so  very  common  to  have  it 
appear  luhat  it  is  not.  The  wish,  expressed  or 
implied,  of  the  parents,  and  the  ambition  of  the 
children,  all  conspire  to  make  the  teacher  yield 
to  a  usage  so  common.  Consequently,  several 
weeks  will  be  spent  to  prepare  the  children  to 
appear  in  public.  During  this  time,  they  study 
not  for  improvement,  not  for  future  usefulness, 
but  simply  to  make  a  sliow  at  the  public  cele- 
bration. An  unworthy  and  unwarrantable  motive 
actuates  them  during  all  this  process ;  and,  at 
last,  unless  strangely  benighted,  they  are  con- 
scious of  holding  up  a  false  appearance  to  the 
world.  Now,  under  such  circumstances,  what- 
ever of  good  is  effected,  by  way  of  enkindling  a 
zeal  in  the  parents,  is  dearly  purchased.  The 
sacrifice  of  principle  in  a  teacher — much  more  in 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  29S 

Teacher  sh.ovild  be  honest.— Great  motives.— Purther  caution. 

the  children — is  a  large  price  to  pay  for  the 
applause  of  a  few  visitors,  or  even  for  an  increase 
(jf  interest  among  them,  in  the  cause  of  popular 
education. 

Examinations,  however,  which  are  less  showy, 
and  which  are  of  such  a  character  as  thoroughly 
to  sift  the  teachings  that  have  been  given,  and 
to  thwart  any  ingenious  efforts  specially  to  pre- 
pare for  them — examinations  that  look  back  to 
the  general  teaching  of  the  term  or  the  year, 
and  test  the  accuracy  and  thoroughness  of  the 
instructions — are  unquestionably  very  desirable 
and  useful.  To  make  them  so  in  the  highest 
sense,  and  to  exempt  them  from  an  evil  tendency 
upon  the  minds  of  the  young  themselves,  the 
teacher  should  he  strictly  honest.  Not  a  lesson 
should  be  given  with  sole  reference  to  the  exhi- 
bition at  the  close ;  not  an  exercise  should  be 
omitted  because  the  examination  ajjproaches. 
The  good  teacher  should  keep  those  great  mo- 
tives before  the  mind,  which  look  to  future  use- 
fulness, and  to  the  discharge  of  duty.  The  child 
should  be  taught  that  he  is  accountable  for  what 
he  acquires,  and  what  he  may  acquire,  and  not  for 
what  he  may  appear  to  have  acquired ;  and  that 
this  accountability  is  not  confined  to  a  single 
day,  soon  to  pass  and  be  forgotten ;  but  it  runs 
through  all  time  and  all  eternity. 

I  know  not  but  the  expectation  of  an  exam- 
ination may  stimulate  some  to  greater  exertion, 
and  make  them  better  scholars.    If  this  be  so,  it 


294  SCHOOL     AKEANGEMENTS. 

Restrictions  and  limitations. 

may  be  well  enough ;  and  yet  I  should  be  slow 
to  present  such  a  motive  to  the  mind  of  a  child, 
because  a  special  or  secondary  accountability 
always  detracts  from  the  general  and  chief. 

A  strong  reason,  in  addition  to  those  already 
assigned,  why  special  preparation  should  not  be 
made  for  the  examination,  is,  that  where  such 
preparation  is  expected,  the  pupils  become  care- 
less in  their  ordinary  exercises. 

While,  then,  I  think  too  much  stress  is  at 
present  placed  upon  showy  exhibitions  and  cele- 
brations, and  that  objections  and  dangers  attend 
examinations,  as  frequently  conducted,  I  would 
not  recommend  altogether  their  discontinuance. 
I  would  rather  urge  that  the  teacher,  by  his 
inflexible  honesty,  should  make  them  fair  repre- 
sentations of  the  actual  condition  of  his  school, 
without  relying  very  much  upon  them  as  a  means 
of  stimulating  the  pupils  to  exertion ;  that  the 
pupils  should  be  made  to  feel  that  the  results 
of  their  exertion  through  the  term,  rather  than 
a  few  special  efforts  near  its  close,  would  be 
brought  into  review ;  that  no  hypocrisy  or  man- 
agement should  ever  be  tolerated,  in  order  to 
win  the  applause  of  the  multitude  ;  that  no  par- 
ticular lessons  should  ever  be  assigned  for  the 
occasion ;  that  it  should  be  remembered,  that 
the  moral  effect  of  an  occasional  failure  at  exam- 
ination, will  be  more  salutary  upon  the  school 
than  unbroken  success ;  and  that  the  children 
are   irreparably  injured,  when  they  are  made   in 


SCHOOL     ARRANGEMENTS.  295 

Profitable  examinations. 

any   way    the   willing   instruments   of   fake   pre- 
tension. 

Under  such  circumstances,  examinations  may 
be  profitable  to  all  concerned.  If  teacher  and 
pupils  have  done  well,  they  have  the  opportunity 
of  showing  it  without  violence  to  their  own  con- 
sciences. The  employers,  and  patrons  too,  have 
some  means  of  forming  a  correct  estimate  of  the 
value  of  their  school ;  and  all  parties  may  be 
encouraged  and  stimulated.     But  above  all  things, 

LET   THE   TEACHER   BE   HONEST. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE     teacher's    RELATION     TO    THE     PARENTS 
OF     HIS     PUPILS. 

IN  the  choice  of  a  clergyman,  after  estimating 
his  moral  and  religious  character,  and  ascer- 
taining the  order  of  his  pulpit-  talents,  a  third 
question  remains  to  be  answered,  viz. : — What 
are  his  qualifications  as  a  pastor  ?  How  is  he 
adapted  to  fulfill  the  various  relations  of  private 
friend  and  counselor ;  and  in  the  family  circle, 
in  his  intercourse  with  the  aged  and  the  young, 
how  is  he  fitted  to 

"  Alliire  to  brighter  worlds  and  lead  the  way  "  f 

In  that  sacred  profession,  every  one  knows  that 
nearly  as  much  good  is  to  be  done  by  private 
intercourse  as  in  the  public  ministration.  Many 
a  heart  can  be  reached  by  a  friendly  and  in- 
formal conversation,  that  would  remain  unmoved 
by  the  most  powerful  eloquence  from  the  pulpit. 
Besides,  many  are  prepared  to  be  profited  in  the 
public  exercises  by  that  intercourse  in  private 
which  has  opened  their  hearts,  removed  preju- 
dice, and  engendered  a  feeling  of  friendly  interest 
in  the  preacher.  The  admonitions  of  the  gospel 
thus    have    the    double    power    of    being    truth, 


teacher's   relation   to    parents.  297 

Social  qualities  in  a  teacher.— He  should  call  on  the  parents. 


and  truth  uttered  by  the  Hps  of  a  valued 
friend. 

It  is,  to  some  extent,  thus  with  the  school 
teacher.  He  may  be  very  learned  and  very  apt 
to  teach,  and  yet  fail  of  success  in  his  district. 
Hence,  it  is  highly  important  that  he  should 
possess  and  carefully  cultivate  those  social  quali- 
ties, which  will  greatly  increase  his  usefulness. 
The  teacher  should  consider  it  a  part  of  his  duty, 
whenever  he  enters  a  district,  to  excite  a  deeper 
interest  there,  among  the  patrons  of  the  school, 
than  they  have  ever  before  felt.  He  should  not 
be  satisfied  till  he  has  reached  every  mind  con- 
nected with  his  charge  in  such  a  way  that  they 
will  cheerfully  co-operate  with  him  and  sustain 
his  judicious  efforts  for  good.  Being  imbued  with 
a  deep  feeling  of  the  importance  of  his  work,  he 
should  let  them  see  that  he  is  alive  to  the  in- 
terests of  their  children.     To  this  end, — 

1.  He  should  seeJc  frequent  opportunities  of 
intercourse  with  the  parents.  Though  the  ad- 
vances toward  this  point,  by  the  strict  rules  of 
etiquette,  should  be  made  by  the  parents  them- 
selves (as  by  some  it  is  actually  and  seasonably 
done) — yet,  as  a  general  thing,  taking  the  world 
as  we  find  it,  the  teacher  must  lead  the  way. 
He  must  often  introduce  himself  uninvited  to 
the  people  among  whom  he  dwells,  calling  at 
their  homes  in  the  spirit  of  his  vocation,  and 
conversing  with  them  freely  about  his  duty  to 
their  children  and  to  themselves.    Every  parent, 


298  THE    teacher's   relation 

Object  of  his  calls.— He  should  explain  his  plans. 

of  course,  will  feel  bound  to  be  courteous  and 
civil  in  his  own  house ;  and,  by  such  an  inter- 
view, perhaps  a  difference  of  opinion,  a  prejudice, 
or  a  suspicion  may  be  removed,  and  the  founda- 
tion of  a  mutual  good  understanding  be  laid, 
which  many  little  troubles  can  never  shake.  It 
may  be  very  useful  to  have  an  interview  with 
such  parents  as  have  been  disturbed  by  some  ad- 
ministration of  discipline  upon  members  of  their 
families.  Let  me  not  be  understood,  however,  to 
recommend  that  the  teacher  should  ever  go  to  the 
parent  in  a  cringing,  unmanly  spirit.  It  would 
probably  be  far  better  that  the  parties  should 
ever  remain  entire  strangers,  than  that  their 
meeting  should  necessarily  be  an  occasion  of 
humiliating  retraction  on  the  part  of  the  teacher. 
Neither  should  the  parents  ever  be  allowed  to 
expect  that  the  teacher  always  will,  as  a  matter 
of  dut}^,  come  to  their  confessional.  But  it  is 
believed,  if  there  could  be  a  meeting  of  the  par- 
ties as  men,  as  gentlemen,  as  Christians,  as  co- 
adjutors for  the  child's  welfare,  it  would  always 
be  attended  with  good  results, 

2.  He  should  he  luiUing  to  explain  all  his  plans 
to  the  parents  of  his  pupils.  If  they  had  implicit 
confidence  in  him,  and  would  readily  and  fully 
give  him  every  facility  for  carrying  forward  all 
his  designs  without  explanation,  then,  perhaps, 
this  direction  might  not  be  necessary.  But,  as 
the  world  is,  he  can  not  expect  spontaneous  con- 
fidence.   They  wish   to   know  his  designs,  and   it 


TO     THE     PARENTS     OF     HIS     PUPILS.      299 
Encourage  inquiry.— No  mystery. 

is  best  they  should  be  informed  of  them  by  him- 
self. The  best  way  for  the  teacher  to  interest 
them  in  the  business  of  education,  will  be  freely 
to  converse  with  them  concerning  the  measures 
he  intends  to  adopt.  If  his  plans  are  judicious^ 
he  of  course  can  show  good  reasons  why  they 
should  be  carried  into  effect ;  and  parents  are 
generally  willing  to  listen  to  reason,  especially 
when  it  is  directed  to  the  benefit  of  their  own 
children.  Many  a  parent,  upon  the  first  an- 
nouncement of  a  measure  in  school,  has  stoutly 
opposed  it,  who,  upon  a  little  explanatory  con- 
versation with  the  teacher,  would  entertain  a 
very  different  opinion,  and  ever  after  would  be 
most  ready  to  countenance  and  support  it. 

It  seems  to  me  a  teacher  may  safely  encour- 
age inquiry  into  all  his  movements  in  school. 
There  is  an  old  saying — in  my  opinion  a  mis- 
chievous one, — which  enjoins  it  as  a  duty  upon 
all,  to  "tell  no  tales  out  of  school."  I  see  no  ob- 
jection to  the  largest  liberty  in  this  matter.  Why 
may  not  every  thing  be  told,  if  told  correctly? 
Parents  frequently  entertain  a  suspicious  spirit 
as  to  the  movements  of  the  teacher.  Would  not 
very  much  of  this  be  done  away,  if  it  was  under= 
stood  there  was  no  mystery  about  the  school  ? 
The  teacher  who  would  thus  invite  inquiry,  would 
be  very  careful  never  to  do  any  thing  which  he 
would  not  be  willing  to  have  related  to  the 
parents,  or  even  to  be  witnessed  by  them.  I 
would  have  no  objection,  if  it  were  possible,  that 


300  THE     teacher's     RELATION" 

Encourage  parental  visitation.— Begin  with  mothers.— Be  honest. 

the  walls  of  our  school-rooms,  as  you  look  inward, 
should  be  transparent,  so  that  any  individual  un- 
perceived  might  view  with  his  own  eyes  the 
movements  within.  The  consciousness  of  such 
an  oversight  would  work  a  healthy  influence  upon 
those  who  have  too  long  delighted  in  mystery. 

3.  The  teacher  should  encourage  parents  to 
visit  his  school  frequently.  There  is  almost  every- 
where too  great  backwardness  on  the  part  of 
parents  to  do  this  duty.  The  teacher  should 
early  invite  them  to  come  in.  It  is  not  enough 
that  he  do  this  in  general  terms.  He  may  fix 
the  time,  and  arrange  the  party,  so  that  those 
who  would  assimilate,  should  be  brought  together. 
It  will  frequently  be  wise  to  begin  with  the 
mothers,  where  visitation  has  been  unusual.  They 
will  soon  bring  in  the  fathers.  As  often  as  they 
come  they  will  be  benefited.  When  such  visits 
are  made,  the  teacher  should  not  depart  from  his 
usual  course  of  instruction  on  their  account.  Let 
all  the  recitations  and  explanations  be  attended 
to,  all  praises  and  reproofs,  all  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments be  as  faithfully  and  punctually  dis- 
pensed as  if  no  person  were  present.  In  other 
words,  let  the  teacher  faithfully  exhibit  the  school 
just  as  it  is,  its  lights  and  its  shadows,  so  that 
they  may  see  all  its  workings,  and  understand  all 
its  trials  as  well  as  its  encouragements. 

Such  visitations  under  such  circumstances,  it 
is  believed,  would  ever  be  highly  beneficial.  The 
teacher's   difficulties   and   cares   would  be  better 


TO     THE     PARENTS     OF     HIS     PUPILS.      301 
Be  frank  and  true  with  parents. 

understood,  and  his  efforts  to  be  useful  appre- 
ciated. The  hindrances,  thus  seen  to  impede  his 
progress,  would  be  promptly  removed,  and  the 
teacher  would  receive  more  cordial  sympathy  and 
support. 

But  if  the  teacher  makes  such  visits  the  occa- 
sion for  putting  a  false  appearance  upon  the 
school ;  if  he  takes  to  himself  unusual  airs,  such 
as  make  him  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  his  pupils, 
and  even  in  his  own  estimation  ;  if  he  attempts 
to  bring  before  the  visitors  his  best  classes,  and 
to  impress  them  with  his  own  skill  by  showing 
off  his  best  scholars,  they  will,  sooner  or  later,  dis- 
cover his  hypocrisy,  and  very  likely  despise  him 
for  an  attempt  to  deceive  them. 

4.  The  teacher  should  be  frank  in  all  his  rep- 
resentations to  parents  concerning  their  children. 
This  is  a  point  upon  which  many  teachers  most 
lamentably  err.  In  this,  as  in  every  other  case, 
"honesty  is  the  best  policy."  If  an  instructor 
informs  a  parent  during  the  term  that  his  son  is 
making  rapid  progress,  or,  as  the  phrase  is — "do- 
ing very  well,"  he  excites  in  him  high  expecta- 
tions ;  and  if  at  the  end  of  the  term,  it  turns  out 
otherwise,  the  parent,  with  much  justice,  may  feel 
that  he  has  been  injured,  and  may  be  expected  to 
load  him  with  censure  instead  of  praise.  Let  a 
particular  answer,  and  a  true  one,  always  be 
given  to  the  inquiry — "How  does  my  child  get 
along?"  The  parent  has  a  right  to  know,  and 
the   teacher  has   no  right   to  conceal  the  truth. 


302  THE     TEACHER'S     RELATION 

No  evasion.— Study  the  art  of  conversation.— Be  modest. 

Sometimes  teachers,  fearing  the  loss  of  a  pupil, 
have  used  some  indefinite  expression,  which,  how- 
ever, the  doting  parent  is  usually  ready  to  inter- 
pret to  his  child's  advantage.  But  sooner  or  later 
the  truth  will  appear ;  and  when  the  teacher  is 
once  convicted  of  any  misrepresentation  in  this 
particular,  there  is  rarely  any  forgiveness  for  him. 
For  this  reason  and  for  his  own  love  of  truth,  for 
his  own  reputation  and  for  the  child's  welfare,  he 
should  keep  nothing  back.  He  should  tell  the 
whole  story  plainly  and  frankly, — and  the  parent, 
if  he  is  a  gentleman,  will  thank  him  for  his 
faithfulness  to  him  ;  and  if  he  has  any  sense  of 
justice,  he  will  be  ready  to  co-operate  with  him 
for  his  child's  improvement.  At  any  rate,  such 
a  course  will  insure  the  reward  of  a  good  con- 
science. 

The  teacher,  as  I  have  before  urged,  should 
have  the  habits  and  manners  of  a  gentleman. 
He  should  strive  also  to  acquire  the  ability  to 
converse  in  an  easy  and  agreeable  way,  so  that 
his  society  shall  never  be  irksome.  He,  in  other 
words,  should  be  a  man  who  does  not  require 
much  entertaining.  Modesty,  withal,  is  a  great 
virtue  in  the  teacher ;.  especially  in  his  intercourse 
with  the  people  of  his  district.  Teachers,  from 
their  almost  constant  intercourse  with  their  pu- 
pils, are  apt  to  think  their  own  opinions  infallible ; 
and  they  sometimes  commit  the  ridiculous  error, 
of  treating  others  wiser  than  themselves,  as  chil- 
dren in  knowledge.     This  infirmity,  incident  to 


TO     THE     PARENTS     OF     HIS     PUPILS       303 
"Out-door  work."— Its  resiilt. 

the  profession,  should  be  carefully  avoided ;  and 
while  the  teacher  should  ever  endeavor  to  make 
his  conversation  instructive,  he  should  assume  no 
airs  of  superior  learning  or  infallible  authority 
He  should  remember  the  truth  in  human  nature, 
that  men  are  best  pleased  to  learn  without  being 
reminded  that  they  are  learners. 

I  have  known  some  teachers  who  have  sneered 
at  what  they  have  termed  the  "out-door  work" 
here  recommended.  They  have  thrown  them- 
selves upon  their  dignity,  and  have  declared  that 
when  they  had  done  their  duty  within  the  school- 
room, they  had  done  all  that  could  be  expected, 
and  that  parents  were  hound  to  co-operate  with 
them  and  sustain  them.  But,  after  all,  we  must 
take  the  world  as  we  find  it ;  and  since  parents 
do  not  always  feel  interested  as  they  should,  I 
hold  it  to  be  a  part  of  the  teacher's  duty  to  excite 
their  interest,  and  to  win  them  to  his  aid  by  all 
the  proper  means  in  his  power.  In  doing  this  he 
will,  in  the  most  effectual  way,  secure  the  prog- 
ress of  his  school,  and  at  the  same  time  advance 
his  own  personal  improvement. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

teacher's    care    of    his   health. 

No  employment  is  more  wearing  to  the  con- 
stitution than  the  business  of  teaching. 
So  many  men  falter  in  this  employment  from  ill 
health,  so  many  are  deterred  from  entering  it, 
because  they  have  witnessed  the  early  decay  and 
premature  old  age  of  those  who  have  before 
pursued  it,  and  so  many  are  still  engaged  in  it, 
who  almost  literally  "  drag  their  slow  length 
along,"  groaning  under  complicated  forms  of  dis- 
ease and  loss  of  spirits,  which  they  know  not 
how  to  tolerate  or  cure, — that  it  has  become  a 
serious  inquiry  among  the  more  intelligent  of 
the  profession,  "Can  not  something  be  known 
and  practiced  on  this  subject,  which  shall  remove 
the  evils  complained  of?"  Is  it  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  teachers  shall  be  dyspeptics  and  inva- 
lids? Must  devotion  to  a  calling  so  useful  be 
attended  with  a  penalty  so  dreadful? 

A  careful  survey  of  the  facts,  by  more  than 
one  philanthropist,  has  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  loss  of  health  is  not  necessarily  attendant 
upon  the  teacher  of  the  young.  It  is  believed, 
indeed,  that  the  confinement  from  the  air  and 
sunlight,  and  the   engrossing  nature  of  his  pur- 


TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH.      305 
Laws  of  health  should  be  studied.— Effect  of  a  change  of  employment. 

suits,  have  a  strong  tendency  to  bring  on  an  irri- 
tability of  the  nervous  system,  a  depression  of 
spirits,  and  a  prostration  of  the  digestive  func- 
tions ;  but  it  is  also  believed  that,  by  following 
strictly  and  systematically,  the  known  laws  of 
health,  this  tendency  may  be  successfully  resisted, 
and  the  teacher's  life  and  usefulness  very  much 
prolonged.  The  importance  of  the  subject,  and 
a  desire  to  render  this  volume  as  useful  as  possi- 
ble, has  induced  me  to  ask  leave  to  transfer  to 
its  pages,  with  slight  abbreviation,  the  very  judi- 
cious and  carefully  written  chapter  on  "  Health — 
Exercise — Diet,"  contained  in  the  "  School  and 
School-master,"  from  the  gifted  pen  of  George 
B,  Emerson,  Esq.,  of  Boston, — one  of  the  most 
enlightened  educators  of  the  present  age. 

HEALTH— EXERCISE— DIET. 

"The  teacher  should  have  perfect  health.  It 
may  seem  almost  superfluous  to  dwell  here  upon 
what  is  admitted  to  be  so  essential  to  all  per- 
sons ;  but  it  becomes  necessary,  from  the  fact 
that  nearly  all  those  who  engage  in  teaching, 
leave  other  and  more  active  employments  to 
enter  upon  their  new  calling.  By  this  change, 
and  by  the  substitution  of  a  more  sedentary  life 
within-doors,  for  a  life  of  activity  abroad,  the 
whole  habit  of  the  body  is  changed,  and  the 
health  will  inevitably  suffer,  unless  precautions 
be  taken  which  have   never  before  been  neces- 


806  teacher's  care  of  his  health. 

Exercise.— Teacher  specially  needs  it.— "Walking.— How? 

sary.  To  all  such  persons — to  all,  especially,  who 
are  entering  upon  the  work  of  teaching,  with  a 
view  of  making  it  their  occupation  through  life, 
a  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  health  is  of  the 
utmost  importance,  and  to  such  this  chapter  is 
addressed.  I  shall  speak  of  these  laws  briefly, 
under  the  heads  of  Exercise,  Air,  Sleep,  Food, 
and  Dress. 

"Exercise.  So  intimate  is  the  connection  be- 
tween the  various  parts  of  our  compound  nature, 
that  the  faculties  of  the  mind  can  not  be  natu- 
rally, fully,  and  effectually  exercised,  without  the 
health  of  the  body.  And  the  first  law  of  health 
is,  that  which   imposes  the  necessity  of  exercise. 

"  The  teacher  can  not  be  well  without  exer- 
cise, and  usually  a  great  deal  of  it.  No  other 
pursuit  requires  so  much, — no  other  is  so  ex- 
hausting to  the  nerves ;  and  exercise,  air,  cheer- 
fulness, and  sunshine,  are  necessary  to  keep  them 
in  health.  Most  other  pursuits  give  exercise  of 
body,  sunshine,  and  air,  in  the  very  performance 
of  the  duties  that  belong  to  them.  This  shuts 
us  up  from  all. 

"  One  of  the  best,  as  one  of  the  most  natural 
modes  of  exercise,  is  walking.  To  give  all  the 
good  effects  of  which  it  is  susceptible,  a  walk 
must  be  taken  either  in  pleasant  company,  or,  if 
alone,  with  pleasant  thoughts ;  or,  still  better, 
with  some  agreeable  end  in  view,  such  as  gath- 
ering plants,  or  minerals,  or  observing  other 
natural  objects.    Many  a  broken  constitution  has 


TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH.      307 
President  Hitchcock.— Riding  on  horseback.— Garden. 

been  built  up,  and  many  a  valuable  life  saved 
and  prolonged,  by  such  a  love  of  some  branch  of 
natural  history  as  has  led  to  snatch  every  oppor- 
tunity for  a  walk,  with  the  interest  of  a  delight- 

ful  study, 

'Where  living  things,  and  things  inanimate 
Do  speak,  at  Heaven's  command,  to  eye  and  ear.' 

The  distinguished  geologist  of  Massachusetts, 
President  Hitchcock,  was  once,  when  teacher  of 
a  school,  reduced  to  so  low  a  state  by  disease  of 
the  nerves,  which  took  the  ugly  shape  of  dys- 
pepsia, that  he  seemed  to  be  hurrying  rapidly 
toward  the  grave.  Fortunately,  he  became  inter- 
ested in  mineralogy,  and  this  gave  him  a  strong 
motive  to  spend  all  his  leisure  time  in  the  open 
air,  and  to  take  long  circuits  in  every  direction. 
He  forgot  that  he  was  pursuing  health,  in  the 
deeper  interest  of  science ;  and  thus,  aided  by 
some  other  changes  in  his  habits,  but  not  in  his 
pursuits,  he  gradually  recovered  the  perfect 
health  which  has  enabled  him  to  do  so  much  for 
science,  and  for  the  honor  of  his  native  State. 

"  Riding  on  horseback  is  one  of  the  best  modes 
of  exercise  possible  for  a  sedentary  person.  It 
leads  to  an  erect  posture,  throws  open  the  chest 
gives  a  fuller  breathing,  and  exercises  the  mus- 
cles of  the  arm  and  upper  part  of  the  framec 
*  *  *  In  weakness  of  the  digestive  organs  its 
efficacy  is  remarkable.    *    *    * 

"J.  garden  furnishes  many  excellent  forms  of 


308  teacher's  care  of  his  health. 

Farm  labor.— Rowing.— Sawing  and  splitting  wood. 

exercise,  and  the  numerous  labors  of  a  farm 
■would  give  every  variety,  if  the  teacher  could  be 
in  a  situation  to  avail  himself  of  them.  This  it 
not  often  the  case.  When  accessible,  the  rake^ 
the  pitchfork,  moderately  used,  can  not  be  too 
highly  recommended.  A  garden  is  within  the 
reach  of  most  teachers  in  the  country.  It  has 
the  advantage  of  supplying  exercise  suited  to 
every  degree  of  strength,  and  of  being  filled  with 
objects  gratifying  to  the  eye  and  taste.  *  *  * 
The  flower-garden  and  shrubbery  commend  them- 
selves to  the  female  teacher.  To  derive  every 
advantage  from  them,  she  must  be  willing  to 
follow  the  example  often  set  by  the  ladies  of 
England,  and  use  the  hoe,  the  rake,  the  pruning- 
hook,  and  the  grafting-knife,  with  her  own  hands. 

^^  Rowing,  when  practicable,  is  a  most  health- 
ful exercise.  It  gives  play  to  every  muscle  and 
bone  in  the  frame.  *  *  *  When  the  river  is 
frozen,  skating  may  take  the  place  of  rowing ; 
and  it  is  an  excellent  substitute.  *  *  *  Driv- 
ing a  chaise  or  a  sleigh,  is  a  healthful  exercise, 
if  suflBcient  precaution  be  used  to  guard  against 
the  current  which  is  always  felt,  as  it  is  produced 
by  the  motion  of  the  vehicle,  even  in  still  air. 

''  Sawing  and  splitting  wood  form  a  valuable 
exercise,  particularly  important  for  those  who 
have  left  an  active  life  for  the  occupation  of 
teaching. 

"Exercise  should  be  taken  in  the  early  part 
of  the  day.    Warren  Colburn,  the  author  of  the 


TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH.      309 
"Warren  Colbum.— In  the  morning.— In  open  air.— In  the  light. 

Arithmetic,  whose  sagacity  in  common  things 
was  as  remarkable  as  his  genius  for  numbers, 
used  to  say,  that  half  an  hour's  walk  before 
breakfast  did  him  as  much  good  as  an  hour's 
after.  Be  an  early  riser.  The  air  of  morning  is 
more  bracing  and  invigorating ;  the  sights,  and 
sounds,  and  odors  of  morning  are  more  refresh- 
ing. A  life's  experience  in  teaching  declares  the 
morning  best.    *    *    * 

"Exercise  must  always  be  taken,  if  possible, 
in  the  open  air.  Air  is  as  essential  as  exercise, 
and  often,  in  warm  weather  particularly,  more  so. 
They  belong  together.  The  blood  flows  not  as  it 
should,  it  fails  to  give  fresh  life  to  the  brain,  if 
we  breathe  not  fresh  air  enough.  The  spirits 
can  not  enjoy  the  serene  cheerfulness  which  the 
teacher  needs,  if  he  breathe  not  fresh  air  enough. 
The  brain  can  not  perform  its  functions  ;  thought 
can  not  be  quick,  vigorous,  and  healthy,  without 
ample  supplies  of  air.  Much  of  the  right  moral 
tone,  of  habitual  kindliness  and  thankful  rever- 
ence, depends  on  the  air  of  heaven. 

"Exercise  must  be  taken  in  the  light;  and  if 
it  may  be,  in  the  sunshine.  AVho  has  not  felt 
the  benignant  influence  of  sunshine  ?  The  sun's 
light  seems  almost  as  essential  to  our  well-being 
as  his  heat,  or  the  air  we  breathe.  It  has  a  great 
effect  on  the  nerves.  A  distinguished  physician 
of  great  experience,  Dr.  J.  C.  Warren,  of  Boston, 
tells  me  that  he  almost  uniformly  flnds  diseases 
that  affect  the  nerves,  exasperated  by  the  dark- 


310      TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH. 
Cleanliness.— Water.— Sleep.— Six  or  eight  hours. 

ness  of  night  and  mitigated  by  the  coming  on 
of  day.  All  plants  growing  in  the  air  lose  their 
strength  and  color  when  excluded  from  light. 
So  in  a  great  degree  does  man.  They  lose  their 
fine  and  delicate  qualities,  and  the  preciousness 
of  their  juices.  Man  loses  the  glow  of  his  spirits, 
and  the  warmth  and  natural  play  of  his  finer 
feelings.     *    *    * 

"Next  to  air  and  light,  water  is  the  most 
abundant  element  in  nature.  It  can  hardly  be 
requisite  to  enjoin  upon  the  teacher  the  freest 
use  of  it.  The  most  scrupulous  cleanliness  is 
necessary,  not  only  on  his  own  account,  but  that 
he  may  be  able  always  to  insist  upon  it,  with 
authority,  in  his  pupils.  The  healthy  state  of 
the  nerves,  and  of  the  functions  of  digestion, 
depends  in  so  great  a  degree  on  the  cleanliness 
of  the  skin,  that  its  importance  can  hardly  be 
overstated.    *    *    * 

"  Sleep.  No  more  fatal  mistake  in  regard  to 
his  constitution  can  be  made  by  a  young  person 
given  to  study,  than  that  of  supposing  that  Nature 
can  be  cheated  of  the  sleep  necessary  to  restore 
its  exhausted,  or  strengthen  its  weakened  powers. 
From  six  to  eight  hours  of  sleep  are  indispensa- 
ble ;  and  with  young  persons,  oftener  eight  or 
more,  than  six.  It  is  essential  to  the  health  of 
the  body,  and  still  more  to  that  of  the  mind.  It 
acts  directly  on  the  nervous  system ;  and  irrita- 
bility, or  what  is  called  nervousness,  is  the  con- 
sequence of  its  loss.     This,  bad  in  any  person,  is 


teacher's  care  of  his  health.  311 

Diet.— Simple  food.— Extremes  in  kind  and  quantity. 

worse  ill  the  teacher  than  in  any  one  else.  It  is 
an  unfailing  source  of  unhappiness  to  himself  and 
to  all  his  school.  He  would  be  unwise  to  sub- 
ject himself  to  the  consequences  of  the  loss  of 
sleep ;  he  has  no  right  to  subject  others.    *    *    * 

"Diet.  To  no  person  is  an  attention  to  diet 
more  important  than  to  the  teacher.  For  his 
own  guidance,  and  that  he  may  be  able  to  give 
proper  instructions  in  regard  to  this  subject  to 
his  pupils,  the  conclusions  of  experience,  or  what 
we  may  consider  the  laws  of  diet,  should  be 
familiar  to  him.  Some  of  these  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"1.  Food  should  be  simple;  not  of  too  little 
nor  too  great  varietj^  The  structure  of  the  teeth, 
resembling  at  once  those  of  animals  that  natu- 
rally subsist  on  flesh,  and  of  animals  that  take 
only  vegetable  food,  and  the  character  and  length 
of  the  digestive  organs,  holding  a  medium  be- 
tween the  average  of  these  two  classes,  indicate 
that  a  variety  of  food,  animal  and  vegetable,  is 
natural  to  man,  and  in  most  cases  probably  neces- 
sary. The  tendency  in  most  parts  of  this  coun- 
try, from  the  great  abundance  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  is  to  go  to  excess  in  the  consumption  of 
food,  particularly  of  animal  food.  The  striking 
evils  of  this  course  have  led  many  to  the  oppo- 
site extreme — to  renounce  meats  entirely.  Expe- 
rience of  the  evils  of  this  course  also  has  in 
most  cases  brought  men  back  to  the  safe  me- 
dium.   No   person  needs   to   be   more   careful  in 


312      TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH. 
True  medium.— Taken  at  intervals.— Moderate  quantity. 

regard  to  the  quality  and  nature  of  his  food 
than  the  teacher,  as  his  exclusion  from  air  for  a 
great  part  of  the  day  leaves  him  in  an  unfit  con- 
dition to  digest  unwholesome  food,  while  the 
constant  use  of  his  lungs  renders  his  appetite 
unnaturally  great,  or  destroys  it  altogether. 
Animal  food  seems  to  be  necessary,  but  not  in 
great  quantities,  nor  oftener,  usually,  than  once 
a  day,  *  *  *  Jn  winter,  the  food  should  be 
nourishing,  and  may  be  more  abundant ;  in  sum- 
mer, less  nutritious,  less  of  animal  origin,  and  in 
more  moderate  quantity, 

"2.  Food  should  be  taken  at  sufficiently  dis- 
tant intervals.  *  *  *  The  operation  of  diges- 
tion is  not  completed,  ordinarily,  in  less  than  four 
hours.  Food  should  not  be  taken  at  shorter 
intervals  than  this  ;  and  intervals  of  five  or  six 
hours  are  better,  as  they  leave  the  stomach  some 
time  to  rest. 

"  3.  It  should  be  taken  in  moderate  quantity. 
In  the  activity  of  common  life  excess  is  less  to 
be  dreaded  than  with  the  sedentary  habits  and 
wearying  pursuits  of  the  teacher.  *  *  *  The 
exhaustion  of  teaching  is  that  of  the  nervous 
power,  and  would  seem  to  call  for  hours  of  quiet, 
and  freedom  from  care,  with  cheerful  conversa- 
tion, and  the  refreshment  of  air  and  gentle  exer- 
cise. Probably  all  the  kinds  of  food  in  general 
use  are  wholesome  when  partaken  of  moderately. 
Those  who,  from  choice  or  compulsion,  pass  from 
an  active  to  a  sedentary  life,  should  at  the  same 


TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH.       313 
Avoid  fat.— Fruit.— Drink  water. — At  meals. 

time  restrict  themselves  to  one  half  their  accus- 
tomed quantity  of  food. 

"4.  As  a  general  rule,  fat  should  be  avoided. 
*  *  *  None  but  a  person  who  takes  a  great  deal 
of  most  active  exercise,  or  is  much  exposed  to 
cold,  can  long  bear  its  use  with  impunity.  If 
taken,  fat  in  a  solid  form  is  less  injurious  than 
liquid  fat. 

"  5.  Fruit  may  be  eaten  with  the  recollection 
of  the  proverb  of  fruit-producing  countries  :  '  It  is 
gold  in  the  morning,  silver  at  noon,  and  lead  at 
night.'  Ripe  fruit  in  its  season  is  wholesome,  and 
preferable  for  a  person  of  sedentary  habits,  to  more 
nourishing  and  exciting  food.  But  it  should  be  a 
substitute  for  other  food,  not  an  addition.  A  bad 
practice,  common  in  some  places,  of  eating  fruit, 
especially  the  indigestible  dried  fruits,  raisins, 
and  nuts,  in  the  evening,  should  be  avoided  by 
the  teacher.  He  must  have  quiet  and  uninter- 
rupted sleep  and  early  hours,  to  be  patient,  gen- 
tle, and  cheerful  in  school. 

"  6.  The  drink  of  a  sedentary  person  should 
be  chiefly  water,  and  that  in  small  quantities, 
and  only  at  meals.  The  intelligent  Arab  of  the 
desert  drinks  not  during  the  heat  of  the  day. 
He  sees  that  watering  a  plant  in  the  sunshine 
makes  it  wither ;  and  he  feels  in  himself  an  anal- 
ogous effect  from  the  use  of  water.  There  are 
few  lessons  in  regard  to  diet  so  important  to  be 
inculcated  as  this :    '  Drink  not  between  meals.' 

"  7.   The  last   rule   to  be   observed   is,  that  no 


314  teacher's  care  of  his  health. 

Dress. — Clieerfuliiess. 

unnecessary  exertion  of  mind  or  body  should  be 
used  immediately  after  a  meal.  If  a  walk  must 
be  taken,  it  should  rather  be  a  leisurely  stroll  than 
a  hurried  walk. 

"Dress.  The  teacher  should  be  no  sloven. 
He  should  dress  well,  not  over  nicely,  not  extrav- 
agantly ;  neatly,  for  neatness  he  must  teach  by 
example  as  well  as  by  precept ;  and  warmly,  for 
so  many  hours  of  the  day  shut  in  a  warm  room 
will  make  him  unusually  sensitive  to  cold.  The 
golden  rule  of  health  should  never  be  forgotten : 
'  Keep  the  head  cool,  the  feet  warm,  and  the  body 
free.'  The  dress  of  the  feet  is  particularly  im- 
portant. Coldness  or  dampness  of  the  feet  causes 
headache,  weakness  and  inflammation  of  the 
eyes,  coughs,  consumptions,  and  sometimes  fe- 
vers. A  headache  is  often  cured  by  sitting  with 
the  feet  long  near  a  fire.  Keeping  the  feet  warm 
and  dry  alleviates  the  common  affections  of  the 
eyes,  repels  a  coming  fever,  prevents  or  quiets 
coughs,  and  serves  as  one  of  the  surest  safe- 
guards against  consumption.  Many  of  our  most 
sensible  physicians  trace  the  prevalence  of  con- 
sumption in  Northern  States,  not  to  our  climate, 
but  to  the  almost  universal  custom  of  wearing 
insufficient  clothing,  especially  on  the  feet. 

"  There  is  another  subject  intimately  connected 
with  health,  which  has  been  alluded  to,  but  which 
ought,  from  its  importance,  to  receive  more  than 
a  passing  remark.  It  is  cheerfulness.  This  should 
be  one  of  the  ends  and  measures   of  health.      It 


teacher's    care    of    his   health.     315 

Cause  of  low  spirits.— A  home.— Sociality. 

ought  to  be  considered  the  natural  condition  of  a 
healthy  mind ;  he  who  is  not  cheerful  is  not  in 
health.  If  he  has  not  some  manifest  moral 
cause  of  melancholy,  there  must  be  something 
wrong  in  the  body,  or  in  the  action  of  the  powers 
of  the  mind. 

"A  common  cause  of  low  spirits  in  a  teacher 
is  anxiety  in  regard  to  the  well-doing  of  his  pu- 
pils. This  he  must  feel ;  but  he  must  endeavor, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  banish  it  from  his  hours  of 
relaxation.  He  must  leave  it  behind  him  when 
he  turns  from  the  school-house  door.  To  prevent 
its  haunting  him,  he  must  seek  pleasant  society. 
He  must  forget  it  among  the  endearments  of 
home,  the  cheerful  faces  and  kind  voices  of 
friends.  This  is  the  best  of  all  resources,  and 
happy  is  the  man  who  has  a  pleasant  home,  in 
the  bosom  of  which  he  may  rest  from  labor  and 
from  care.  If  he  be  among  strangers,  he  must 
endeavor  to  find  or  make  friends  to  supply  the 
place  of  home.  He  must  seek  the  company  of 
the  parents  and  friends  of  his  pupils,  not  only 
that  he  may  not  be  oppressed  by  the  loneliness 
of  his  situation,  but  that  he  may  better  under- 
stand the  character  of  his  pupils  and  the  influ- 
ences to  which  they  are  subjected.  The  exercise 
of  the  social  affections  is  essential  to  the  healthy 
condition  of  a  well-constituted  mind.  Often  he 
will  find  good  friends  and  pleasant  companions 
among  his  pupils.  Difference  of  years  disappears 
before  kindliness  of  feeling,  and  sympathy  may 


316      TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH. 
Music— A  pernicious  habit.— "  Comforter." 

exist  between  those  most  remote  in  age,  and  pur- 
suit, and  cultivation. 

******* 

"A  delightful,  but  somewhat  dangerous  recre- 
ation is  offered  by  music ;  delightful,  as  always 
soothing  to  the  wearied  mind ;  but  dangerous, 
because  liable  to  take  to  itself  too  much  time. 
It  would  be  desirable  if  every  instructor  could 
himself  sing  or  play.  If  he  can  not,  let  him  listen 
to  songs  or  cheerful  music  from  voice  or  instru- 
ment, or  to  the  notes  of  birds. 

"  'I'm  sick  of  noise  and  care,  and  now  mine  ear 
Longs  for  some  air  of  peace.' " 


To  the  foregoing  excellent  remarks,  I  could 
scarcely  wish  to  add  any  thing,  save  to  call  atten- 
tion to  that  pernicious  habit  among  both  clergy- 
men and  teachers,  of  dressing  the  neck  too 
warmly  whenever  they  go  into  the  open  air. 
There  seems  to  have  obtained  an  impression  that 
those  who  have  occasion  to  speak  often,  should 
be  peculiarly  careful  to  guard  their  throats  from 
the  cold.  Hence  many  are  seen  in  a  winter's  day 
with  a  collar  of  fur,  or  a  woolen  "comforter,"  or 
at  least  a  silk  handkerchief  of  extraordinary  di- 
mensions, around  their  necks,  and  often  extend- 
ing above  their  mouths  and  nostrils.  If  they 
have  occasion  to  step  out  but  for  a  moment,  they 
are  still  subject  to  the  slavery  of  putting  on  this 
unnatural  incumbrance. 


TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH.      317 
Bronchitis.—"  Lung  complaint."— Experience. 

Now,  I  believe  that  this  extra  covering  for  the 
neck,  instead  of  preventing  disease  of  the  throat 
and  lungs,  is  one  of  the  most  fruitful  sources  of 
such  disease.  These  parts  being  thus  thickly 
covered  during  exercise,  become  very  warm,  and 
an  excessive  local  perspiration  is  excited ;  and 
the  dampness  of  the  throat  is  much  increased  if 
the  covering  extends  above  the  mouth  and  nose, 
thus  precluding  the  escape  of  the  exhalations 
from  the  lungs.  When,  therefore,  this  covering 
is  removed,  even  within-doors,  a  very  rapid  evap- 
oration takes  place,  and  a  severe  cold  is  the  con- 
sequence. In  this  way  a  cold  is  renewed  every 
day,  and  hoarseness  of  the  throat  and  irritation 
of  the  lungs  is  the  necessary  result.  Very  soon 
the  clergyman  or  teacher  breaks  down  with  the 
bronchitis^  or  the  "lung  complaint,"  and  is  obliged 
for  a  season,  at  least,  to  suspend  his  labors.  This 
difficulty  is  very  much  enhanced,  if  the  ordinary 
neck-dress  is  a  stiff  stock,  which,  standing  off 
from  the  neck,  allows  the  ingress  of  the  cold  air 
as  soon  as  the  outer  covering  is  removed. 

Having  suffered  myself  very  severely  from  this 
cause,  and  having  seen  hundreds  of  cases  in 
others,  I  was  desirous  to  bear  the  testimony  of 
my  experience  against  the  practice, — and  to  sug- 
gest to  all  who  have  occasion  to  speak  long  and 
often  that  the  simplest  covering  for  the  neck  is 
the  best.  A  very  light  cravat  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary. If  the  ordinary  cravat  be  too  thick  and 
too  warm,   as   the   large-sized  white    cravats,  so 


318     TEACHER'S     CARE     OF     HIS     HEALTH. 
Swaddling  the  neck. 

fashionable  with  the  clergy,  usually  are,  during 
the  exercise  of  speaking,  an  unnatural  flow  of 
blood  to  the  parts  will  be  induced,  which,  after 
the  exercise  ceases,  will  be  followed  by  debility 
and  prostration.  A  cold  is  then  very  readily  taken, 
and  disease  follows.  I  am  confident,  from  my 
own  experience  and  immediate  observation,  that 
this  unnatural  swaddling  of  the  neck  is  one  of 
the  most  fruitful  causes  of  disease  of  the  lungs 
and  throat  that  can  be  mentioned. 


CHAPTER    XIY. 

teacher's    relation    to    his    profession. 

IT  has  long  been  the  opinion  of  the  best  minds 
in  our  country,  as  well  as  in  the  most  en- 
lightened countries  of  Europe,  that  teaching 
should  be  a  profession.  It  has  been  alleged,  and 
with  much  justice,  that  this  calling,  which  de- 
mands for  its  successful  exercise  the  best  of  tal- 
ents, the  most  persevering  energy,  and  the  largest 
share  of  self-denial,  has  never  attained  an  appre- 
ciation in  the  public  mind  at  all  commensurate 
with  its  importance.  It  has  by  no  means  received 
the  emolument,  either  of  money  or  honor,  which 
strict  justice  would  award,  in  any  other  depart- 
ment, to  the  talents  and  exertions  required  for 
this.  This  having  been  so  long  the  condition  of 
things,  much  of  the  best  talent  has  been  at- 
tracted at  once  to  the  other  professions;  or,  if 
exercised  awhile  in  this,  the  temptation  of  more 
lucrative  reward,  or  of  more  speedy,  if  not  more 
lasting  honor,  has  soon  diverted  it  from  teaching, 
where  so  little  of  either  can  be  realized,  to  en- 
gage in  some  other  department  of  higher  promise. 
So  true  is  this,  that  scarcely  a  man  can  be  found, 
having  attained  to  any  considerable  eminence  as 
a  teacher,  who  has  not  been  several  times  solic- 


320  TEACHER'S     RELATION" 

Some  noble  souls. — Some  small  men.— Two  evils. 

ited — and  perhaps  strongly  tempted — to  engage 
in  some  more  lucrative  employment ;  and  while 
there  have  always  been  some  strong  men,  who 
have  preferred  teaching  to  any  other  calling,— 
men  who  would  do  honor  to  any  profession,  and 
who,  while  exercising  this,  have  found  that  high- 
est of  all  rewards,  the  consciousness  of  being 
useful  to  others, — still  it  must  be  confessed  that 
teachers  have  too  often  been  of  just  that  class 
which  a  knowledge  of  the  circumstances  might 
lead  us  to  predict  would  engage  in  teaching; 
men  of  capacity  too  limited  for  the  other  pro- 
fessions, of  a  temperament  too  sluggish  to  engage 
in  the  labors  of  active  employment,  of  manners 
too  rude  to  be  tolerated  except  in  the  society  of 
children  (!),  and  sometimes  of  a  morality  so  per- 
nicious, as  to  make  them  the  unfailing  contam- 
inators  of  the  young  whenever  permitted — not  to 
teach  —  but  to  "keep  school."  Thus,  two  great 
evils  have  been  mutually  strengthening  each 
other.  The  indifference  of  the  employers  to  the 
importance  of  good  teachers,  and  their  parsimony 
in  meting  out  the  rewards  of  teaching,  have 
called  into  the  field  large  numbers,  in  the  strict- 
est sense,  unworthy  of  all  reward ;  while  this 
very  unworthiness  of  the  teachers  has  been  made 
the  excuse  for  further  indifference,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, for  greater  meanness  on  the  part  of  em- 
ployers. Such  has  been  the  state  of  the  case  for 
many  years  past,  and  such  is,  to  a  great  extent, 
the  fact  at  present. 


TO     HIS     PEOFESSION.  321 

Educational  miHeniiium.— How  ushered  in?— Different  views. 

It  has  been  the  ardent  wish  of  many  philan- 
thropists that  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs 
should  be  exchanged  for  a  better.  Hence,  they 
have  urged  that  teaching  should  be  constituted 
a  profession ;  that  none  should  enter  this  pro- 
fession but  those  who  are  thoroughly  qualified  to 
discharge  the  high  trust ;  and,  as  a  consequence, 
that  the  people  should  more  liberally  reward 
and  honor  th  )se  Avho  are  thus  qualified  and  em- 
ployed. This  would,  indeed,  be  a  very  desirable 
change ;  it  would  be  the  educational  millennium 
of  the  world.  For  such  a  period,  we  all  may  well 
devoutly  pray. 

But  how  shall  this  glorious  age — not  yet  arrived 
— be  ushered  in  ?  By  whose  agency,  and  by  what 
happy  instrumentality  must  its  approach  be  has- 
tened ?  Here,  as  in  all  great  enterprises,  there  is 
some  difference  of  opinion.  Some  have  urged 
that  the  establishment  of  normal  schools  and 
other  seminaries  for  the  better  education  of 
teachers,  and  the  institution  of  a  more  vigilant 
system  of  supervision,  by  which  our  schools  should 
be  effectually  guarded  against  the  intrusion  of 
the  ignorant  and  inefficient  teacher,  is  all  that  is 
necessary  to  bring  in  this  brighter  day.  Others 
have  zealously  urged  that  such  preparation  and 
such  supervision  are  entirely  superfluous  and 
premature  in  the  present  state  of  the  public 
mind.  They  say  that  the  public  must  first  be- 
come more  liberal  in  its  appropriations  for  schools ; 
it  must  at  once  double  the  amount  it  has  been 


322  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Truth  between  the  extremes.— A  mutual  evil,  and  a  mutual  remedy. 

accustomed  to  pay  to  teachers,  and  thus  secure 
to  this  vocation  the  best  talent  without  further 
trouble.  To  this  the  former  class  reply,  that 
the  public  has  seldom  been  known  to  raise  its 
price,  so  long  as  its  wants  could  be  supplied  at 
the  present  rates.  They  say  that  the  last  century 
has  afforded  ample  opportunity  for  the  exhibition 
of  this  voluntary  generosity  of  the  public,  and 
yet  we  still  wait  to  see  this  anomaly  in  human 
prudence,  of  offering  in  advance  to  pay  double 
the  price  for  the  same  thing ;  for  until  better 
teachers  are  raised  up,  it  must  be  an  advance 
upon  the  present  stock.  So  there  is  a  division 
among  them,  "  for  some  cry  one  thing,  and  some 
another." 

Now,  I  believe,  in  this  case  as  in  most  others, 
the  truth  lies  between  the  extremes.  As  the 
evil  complained  of  is  a  mutual  one,  as  has  already 
been  shown, — that  is,  an  illiberal  public  has  toler- 
ated incompetent  teachers,  and  the  incompetence 
of  teachers  has  enhanced  in  turn  the  parsimony 
of  the  public, — so  the  remedy  must  be  a  mutual 
one  ;  the  public  must  be  enlightened  and  teachers 
must  be  improved ;  the  pay  of  teachers  must  be 
raised,  but  there  must  be  also  something  to  war- 
rant the  higher  rate.  Nor  is  it  easy  to  determine 
which  shall  begin  first.  We  can  hardly  expect 
the  people  to  pay  more,  till  they  find  an  article 
worth  more ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  can  we 
expect  the  teachers  to  incur  any  considerable 
outlay  to  improve  themselves,  until  better  encour- 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION".  323 

Teachers  should  elevate  their  caUing.— Encouragements. 

agement  shall  be  held  out  to  them  by  theh 
employers.  The  two  must  generally  proGeed  to- 
gether. Just  as  m.  the  descending  scale^  inere 
was  a  mutual  downward  tendency,  so  here,  bet- 
ter service  will  command  better  pay,  and  in  turn, 
the  liberality  of  employers  will  stimulate  the 
employed  to  still  higher  attainments  in  knowledge 
and  greater  exertions  in  their  labors. 

In  this  condition  of  things,  the  question  recurs, 
What  is  the  duty  of  teachers  in  relation  to  their 
calling?  I  answer,  they  are  bound  to  do  what 
they  can  to  elevate  it.  Lord  Bacon  said,  "Every 
man  owes  a  debt  to  his  profession."  Teachers 
being  supjjosed  to  be  more  intelligent  than  the 
mass  of  the  community,  may  justly  take  the 
lead  in  the  work  of  XDrogress.  They  should,  as  a 
matter  of  duty,  take  hold  of  this  work, — a  work 
of  sacrifice  and  self-denial  as  it  will  be,  at  least 
for  some  time, — and  heartily  do  what  they  can 
to  magnify  their  office  and  make  it  honorable. 
In  the  meantime  they  may  do  what  they  can 
to  arouse  the  people  to  a  sense  of  their  duty. 
The  more  enlightened  are  to  some  extent  with 
them  already.  The  press,  the  pulpit,  the  legisla- 
tive assemblies,  all  proclaim  that  something  must 
be  done.  AU  admit  the  faithful  teacher  hus  not 
been  duly  rewarded,  and  some  are  found  who 
are  willing  to  do  something  for  the  improvement 
both  of  the  mind  and  condition  of  the  teacher. 
This  is  encouraging ;  and  while  we  rejoice  at  the 
few  gleams  of  light   that  betoken   our  dawning, 


324  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Public  safety  restricts  membership  of  professions. 

let  US  inquire,  for  a  little  space,  how  we  can 
hasten  the  "coming  in  of  the  perfect  day." 

Any  one  who  will  may  become  a  tailor,  a 
carpenter,  or  a  mason ;  but  the  practice  of  sur- 
gery, dentistry,  and  law,  is  restricted  to  a  privi- 
leged few.  Why  are  there  thus  open  occupations 
(trades),  and  closed  occupations  (professions)  ? 
The  reason  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  easy  to 
judge  of  the  quality  of  the  service  rendered  in 
one  case,  and  very  difficult  in  the  other ;  or  that 
the  public  needs  no  formal  protection  against 
the  incompetence  of  masons,  while  there  is  need 
of  such  protection  against  the  incompetence  of 
surgeons.  It  is  therefore  a  measure  of  public 
safety  that  restricts  the  membership  of  profes- 
sions to  those  who  have  given  a  formal  proof  of 
their  competence. 

On  the  other  hand,  as  it  requires  a  high  grade 
of  ability,  a  high  degree  of  skill  and  peculiar 
knowledge,  that  can  be  obtained  only  at  a  great 
expense  of  time,  labor,  and  money,  to  become 
qualified  for  the  dil3icult  and  highly  responsible 
duties  of  a  profession,  some  hope  of  reward  must 
be  held  out  to  induce  men  to  undertake  this 
arduous  preparation.  The  most  direct  way  to 
insure  this  reward  has  been  found  to  be  to  pro- 
tect such  men  by  cutting  off  unjust  competition ; 
and  this  is  effected  by  forbidding  the  incompe- 
tent to  practice.  It  thus  happens  that  by  pro' 
tecting  the  professions,  society  protects  itself ; 
and  that  the  lowering  of  professional  standards 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  325 

Teaching  reqviires  to  be  treated  as  a  profession. 

is  equivalent  to  exposing  the  public   to  the  dan- 
gers of  incompetence  and  pretense. 

So  long  as  we  regard  general  scholarship  as 
constituting  fitness  for  teaching,  it  is  merely  an 
occupation  open  to  all  the  well  educated.  But, 
under  the  conception  that  to  scholarship  must 
be  added  skill  and  science,  and  that  these  ele- 
ments of  fitness  are  of  difficult  attainment,  there 
emerges  the  notion  that  the  public  should  be 
protected  in  their  dearest  interests  against  in- 
competence and  pretense ;  and,  as  in  the  cases 
cited,  the  measure  of  public  protection  will  be  in 
exact  ratio  to  the  teacher's  protection  against 
unjust  competition ;  so  that  the  whole  case  may 
be  summed  up  as  follows : 

1.  Skill  gained  through  the  study  of  educa- 
tional science,  should  be  counted  as  the  pro- 
fessional mark  of  competence  for  teaching. 

2.  The  practice  of  teaching  should  be  gradu- 
ally restricted  to  those  who  furnish  formal  proof 
of  this  professional  competence. 

3.  This  protection  against  unjust  competition 
will  attract  men  and  women  of  talent  into  the 
profession  of  teaching. 

4.  There  will  be  a  gradual  rise  in  the  degree 
of  public  protection  against  incompetence  in 
teaching. 

SECTION    I.— SELF-CULTURE. 

The  teacher  should  labor  diligently  to  improve 
himself.    This  is  a  duty  incumbent  on  all  persons, 


326  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Teachers  should  possess  general  Informatioii. 

but  particularly  upon  the  teacher.  The  very  nat- 
ure of  his  employment  demands  that  his  mind 
should  be  frequently  replenished  from  the  store- 
houses of  knowledge.  To  interest  children  in 
their  studies,  how  necessary  is  it  that  the  teacher's 
mind  should  be  thoroughly  furnished  with  the 
richest  thoughts  of  the  wise ;  to  inspire  them 
with  a  desire  to  learn,  how  important  that  he 
should  be  a  living  example  of  the  advantage  and 
enjoyment  which  learning  alone  can  bestow ;  to 
strew  the  path  of  knowledge  with  flowers,  and 
thus  make  it  the  path  of  pleasantness,  how  de- 
sirable that  he  should  abound  with  the  aptest 
illustrations,  drawn  from  all  that  is  wonderful 
and  curious  in  nature  and  art ;  to  awaken  the 
young  mind  to  a  consciousness  of  its  capacities, 
its  wants,  its  responsibilities,  how  thoroughly 
should  he  know  all  the  workings  of  the  human 
soul, — ^how  wisely  and  carefully  should  he  touch 
the  springs  of  action, — how  judiciously  should  he 
call  to  his  aid  the  conscience  and  the  religious 
feelings  1 

Besides,  let  it  be  remembered  that  in  this,  as 
in  other  things,  the  teacher's  example  is  of  great 
importance.  The  young  will  be  very  likely  to 
judge  of  the  importance  of  their  own  improve- 
ment by  the  estimate  the  teacher  practically 
places  upon  his ;  nor  can  he,  with  any  good 
grace,  press  his  pupils  to  exertion,  while  they 
see  that  he  makes  none  whatever  himself. 

There    is  great   danger,  in   the   midst  of  the 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  327 

Stagnation  accounted  for.— The  teacher  has  time. 

confinement  and  fatigue  of  the  school-room,  and 
the  pressure  of  anxiety  and  care  out  of  school, 
that  the  teacher  will  yield  to  the  temptations  of 
his  position,  and  fall  into  habits  of  indolence  as 
to  his  own  improvement.  Compelled,  as  he  often 
is,  to  labor  at  great  disadvantage,  by  reason  of  a 
small  and  poorly  furnished  school-room  ;  confined 
through  the  day  from  the  sunshine  and  the  fresh 
breeze ;  subjected  to  a  constant  pressure  ot  duty 
amid  untold  trials  of  his  patience,  arising  from 
the  law  that  impels  children  to  be  active  as  well 
as  inconsiderate ;  required  to  concentrate  his 
powers  upon  the  double  duty  of  governing  and 
teaching  at  the  same  instant,  and  all  through 
the  session, — it  is  not  strange,  when  the  hour  of 
release  comes,  that  he  should  seek  rest  or  recrea- 
tion at  the  nearest  point,  even  to  the  neglect  of 
his  own  mental  or  moral  culture.  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  this  accounts  for  the  fact  that  so 
many  persons  enter  the  work  of  instruction,  and 
continue  in  it  for  a  longer  or  a  shorter  period, 
without  making  the  slightest  progress  either  in 
the  art  of  teaching  or  in  their  own  intellectual 
growth.  Their  first  school,  indeed,  is  often  their 
best.  This  tendency  or  temptation,  incident  to 
the  calling,  it  is  the  teacher's  duty  constantly 
and  manfully  to  resist.    He  can  do  it, 

1.  He  has  the  time  to  do  it.  He  is  usually 
required  to  spend  but  six  hours  in  the  day  in 
the    school-room.     Suppose    he    add    two    hours 


828  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Illustrated.— Punctuality  in  all  things. 

more  for  the  purpose  of  looking  over  his  lessons 
and  devising  plans  for  improving  his  school, — he 
will  still  have  sixteen  hours  for  sleep,  exercise, 
recreation,  and  improvement.  Eight  hours  are 
sufficient  for  sleep,  especially  for  a  sedentary 
man  (some  say  less),  and  four  will  provide  for 
meals,  exercise,  and  recreation.  Four  still  re- 
main for  improvement.  Any  teacher  who  is 
systematic  and  economical  in  the  use  of  his 
time,  can  reserve,  for  the  purpose  of  his  own 
improvement,  four  hours  in  every  twenty-four^ 
and  this  without  the  slightest  detriment  to  his 
school  duties,  or  to  his  health.  To  be  sure,  he 
must  lead  a  regular  life.  He  must  have  a  plan, 
and  systematically  follow  it.  He  must  be  punct- 
ual^ at  his  school,  at  his  meals,  at  his  exercise 
or  recreation,  at  his  hour  of  retiring  and  rising, 
and  at  his  studies.  Nor  should  he  ordinarily  de- 
vote more  time  than  I  have  mentioned  directly 
to  his  school.  He  should  labor  with  his  whole 
soul  while  he  does  work,  and  he  will  the  more 
heartily  do  this,  if  he  has  had  time  to  think  of 
something  else  during  the  season  of  respite  from 
labor.  It  is  a  great  mistake  that  teachers  make 
when  they  thinic  they  will  be  more  successful 
by  devoting  all  their  thoughts  to  their  schools. 
Very  soon  the  school  comes  to  occupy  their 
sleeping  as  well  as  waking  hours,  and  trouble- 
some dreams  disturb  the  repose  of  night.  Such 
men  must  soon  ivear  out. 

But  according  to  the  laws  of  our  nature,  by 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  329 


Immediate  reward.— Proof.— Z/bw)  to  improve. 


a  change  of  occupation  the  jaded  faculties  find 
rest.  By  taking  up  some  new  subject  of  inquiry, 
the  intehect  is  reheved  from  the  sense  of  fatigue 
which  before  oppressed  it,  the  thoughts  play  freely 
again,  the  animation  returns,  the  eye  kindles,  and 
the  mind  expands. 

2.  Such  labor  finds  immediate  reivard.  The 
consciousness  of  growth  is  no  small  thing  toward 
encouraging  the  teacher.  He  feels  that  he  is  no 
longer  violating  his  nature  by  allowing  himself 
to  stagnate.  Then  he  will  find  every  daj^  that 
he  can  apply  the  newly-acquired  truth  to  the 
illustration  of  some  principle  he  is  attempting  to 
teach.  He  has  encouraging  and  immediate  proof 
that  he  is  a  better  teacher,  and  that  he  has  made 
himself  so  by  timely  exertion.  He  is  thus  again 
stimulated  to  rise  above  those  temptations  before 
described, — this  immediate  availability  of  his  ac- 
quirements being  vouchsafed  to  the  teacher,  as  it 
is  not  to  most  men,  in  order  to  prompt  him  to 
stem  the  current  which  resists  his  progress. 

And  now,  if  I  have  shown  that  a  teacher  is 
bound  to  improve  himself,  both  from  a  regard  to 
his  own  well-being,  and  the  influence  of  his  exam- 
ple upon  others, — and  if  I  have  also  shown  that  he 
can  improve  himself,  I  may  be  indulged  in  mak- 
ing a  few  suggestions  as  to  the  manner  of  his 
doing  it. 

1.  He  should  Jiare  a  course  of  professioncU 
reading.  It  will  do  much  for  his  improvement  to 
read  the  works  of  those  who  have  written  on  the 


330  TEACHER'S     RELATION 


A  course  of  professional  reading.— The  bookB. 


subject  of  education,  and  the  art  of  teaching.  If 
possible,  he  should  collect  and  possess  a  small 
educational  library.  It  will  be  of  great  service  to 
him  to  be  able  to  read  more  than  once  such 
suggestions  as  are  abundantly  contained  in  the 
"School  and  School-master,"  by  Potter  and  Em- 
erson ;  the  "  Teacher,"  by  Abbott ;  "  Lectures,"  by 
Horace  Mann ;  "  Lectures  of  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Instruction  ;  "  "  Thoughts  on  Education," 
by  John  Locke  ;  "  Education,"  by  Spencer  ;  "  Es- 
says on  Educational  Reformers,"  by  Quick ; 
"  Emile,"  by  Rousseau ;  "  Leonard  and  Gertrude," 
by  Pestalozzi ;  "Education  as  a  Science,"  by 
Bain ;  "  John  Amos  Comenius,"  "  Primary  In- 
struction," and  the  "Training  of  Teachers,"  by 
Laurie ;  "  Home  Education,"  by  Isaac  Taylor ; 
"Household  Education,"  by  Miss  Martineau  ;  "The 
Cyclopedia  of  Education,"  by  Kiddle  and  Schem ; 
"Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching,"  and  "Edu- 
cation and  School,"  by  Thring ;  "Day  Dreams  of 
a  School-master,"  by  Thompson ;  "  School  Man- 
agement," by  Landon ;  "  Lectures  on  Teaching," 
by  Fitch ;  "  Histoire  de  la  Pedagogic,"  by  Com- 
payre ;  "  Levana,"  by  Richter ;  "  School  and  In- 
dustrial Hygiene,"  by  Lincoln ;  "  The  Law  of 
Public  Schools,"  by  Burke ;  the  writings,  if  they 
can  be  obtained,  of  Wyse,  of  Cousin,  of  Lalor,  of 
Lord  Brougham  on  Education,  together  with  such 
other  works  as  are  known  to  contain  sound  and 
practical  views.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that 
every  teacher  will  possess  all   these,  or  that  he 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  331 

A  course  of  general  study.— One  thing  at  a  time. 

will  read  them  all  in  a  single  term.  But  it  is 
well  to  hold  converse  with  other  minds,  and  to 
have  it  in  our  power  to  review  their  best  thoughts 
whenever  our  own  need  refreshing.  I  have  given 
a  somewhat  extended  list  of  books,  because  the 
inquiry  is  now  so  often  made  by  teachers,  what 
they  shall  read. 

2.  By  pursuing  systematically  a  course  of 
general  study.  Many  teachers  who  have  a  desire 
to  improve  themselves,  still  fritter  away  their 
time  upon  little  miscellaneous  matters,  without 
making  real  progress.  It  is  well  in  this  to  have 
a  plan.  Let  some  one  study, — it  may  be  geology, 
or  astronomy,  or  chemistry,  or  botany,  or  the 
pure  mathematics, — let  some  one  study  receive 
constant  attention  till  no  mean  attainments  have 
been  made  in  it.  By  taking  one  thing  at  a  time, 
and  diligently  pursuing  it,  at  the  end  of  a  term 
the  teacher  feels  that  he  has  something  to  show 
for  his  labor, — and  he  is,  by  the  advance  already 
made,  prepared  to  take  the  next  and  more  diffi- 
cult step.  In  a  course  of  years,  while  a  neighbor, 
who  began  teaching  at  the  same  tinae,  has  been 
stagnating  or  even  retrograding,  for  the  want  of 
a  plan  and  a  purpose,  a  diligent  man,  by  system 
and  perseverance,  may  make  himself  at  least 
equal  to  many  who  have  enjoyed  better  advan 
tages  in  early  life,  and  at  the  same  time  have 
the  superadded  enjoyment  of  feeling  that  he  has 
been  his  own  teacher. 

3.  Keep  a  journal  or  commonplace-hook.     The 


332  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

A  journal  or  commonplace-book.— Wliy  ?— A  demonstration. 

habit  of  composing  daily  is  very  valuable  to  the 
teacher.  In  this  book  he  may  record  whatever 
plans  he  has  devised  with  their  results  in  practice 
He  may  enter  remarkable  cases  of  discipline, — ^in 
short,  any  thing  which,  in  the  course  of  his  prac- 
tice, he  finds  interesting.  Those  valuable  sugges- 
tions which  he  receives  from  others,  or  hints  that 
he  may  derive  from  books,  may  be  epitomized 
here,  and  thus  be  treasured  up  for  future  refer- 
ence. Sometimes  one's  best  thoughts  fade  from 
his  own  mind,  and  he  has  no  power  to  recall 
them.  Such  a  book  would  preserve  them,  and 
would,  moreover,  show  the  character  of  one's 
thoughts  at  any  particular  period,  and  the  2^rogress 
of  thought,  from  one  period  to  another,  better 
than  any  other  means.* 

To  these  means  of  self-culture  I  would  add 
the  practice  of  carefully  reading  and  writing  on 
chosen  subjects,  more  fully  described  in  the  chap- 
ter on  Habits  of  the  Teacher. 

By  all  these  means  and  such  others  as  may 
come  within  his  reach,  if  a  teacher  succeeds  in 
his  attempts  at  progress,  he  does  much  for  his 
profession.  The  very  fact  that  he  has  given  prac- 
tical demonstration  that  a  man  may  teach  and 
still  improve ;  that  the  temptations  of  his  profes- 
sion may  be  resisted  and  overcome ;  that  the  life 
of  the  pedagogue  which  has  required  him  to  keep 
the  company  of  small  minds,  and  to  be  occupied 

*  For  further  remarks  on  the  Commonplace-book,  see  Chap.  \'iil., 
p.  142.    Note. 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  333 

Encouragement  to  others.— Mutual  aid.— Selfishness. 

with  minute  objects,  has  never  prevented  his 
holding  communion  with  the  greatest  men  our 
earth  has  known,  nor  circumscribed  in  the  least 
the  sphere  of  his  grasping  research, — I  say  the 
very  fact  that  h(3  has  thus  shown  what  a  man 
may  do  under  such  circumstances,  may  do  much 
to  encourage  others  to  like  effort. 

But  there  are  other  and  direct  duties  which  he 
owes  to  his  profession,  which  I  proceed  to  consider 
under  the  head  of 


SECTION    II.— MUTUAL    AID. 

Every  teacher  should  be  willing  to  impart  as 
well  as  to  receive  good.  No  one,  whatever  may 
be  his  personal  exertions,  can  monopolize  all  the 
wisdom  of  the  world.  The  French  have  a  proverb 
that  "  Everybodj^  is  wiser  than  anj^body."  Acting 
on  this  principle,  the  teacher  should  be  willing  to 
bring  his  attainments  into  the  common  stock, 
and  to  diffuse  around  him,  as  far  as  he  is  able, 
the  light  he  possesses.  I  have  no  language  with 
which  to  express  my  abhorrence  of  that  selfish- 
ness, which  prompts  a  man,  after  attaining  to 
some  eminence  as  a  teacher  by  the  free  use  of 
all  the  means  within  his  reach,  self-complacently 
to  stand  aloof  from  his  fellow-teachers,  as  if  he 
would  say,  "  Brethren,  help  yourselves — I  have  no 
need  of  you,  and  you  have  no  claim  upon  me. 
I  have  toiled  hard  for  my  eminence,  and  the 
secret  is  with  me.     I  will  enjoy  it  alone.    When 


334  teachek's    relation 

An  exclusive  spirit— witliout  excuse.— Mutual  visitation. 

you  have  toiled  as  long,  you  may  be  as  wise. 
Brethren,  help  yourselves."  Such  a  spirit  would 
perhaps  be  tolerated  by  the  world  in  an  avaricious 
man,  who  had  labored  to  treasure  up  the  shining 
dust  of  earth.  But  no  man  may  innocently  mo- 
nopolize knowledge.  The  light  of  the  sun  is  shed 
in  golden  refulgence  upon  every  man,  and  no  one 
if  he  would,  may  separate  a  portion  for  his  own 
exclusive  use,  by  closing  his  shutters  about  him, — 
for  that  moment,  his  light  becomes  darkness.  It 
is  thus  with  the  light  of  knowledge.  Like  the 
air  we  breathe,  or  like  the  rain  from  heaven,  it 
should  be  free  to  all.  The  man  who  would  lock 
up  the  treasures  of  learning  from  the  gaze  of  the 
whole  world,  whether  in  the  tomes  of  some  dusty 
library,  as  of  old  it  was  done,  or  in  the  recesses 
of  his  narrower  soul,  is  unworthy  of  the  name 
of  man ;  he  certainly  has  not  the  spirit  of  the 
teacher. 

An  exclusive  spirit  may  be  borne  where  meaner 
things,  as  houses,  and  lands,  and  gold,  are  at 
stake;  but  in  education  and  religion — light  and 
love, — where  giving  doth  not  impoverish  nor  with- 
holding make  rich,  there  is  not  even  the  shadow 
of  an  excuse  for  it.  The  man  who  is  exclusive  in 
these  things,  would  be  so,  I  fear,  in  heaven. 

How  can  teachers  encourage  each  other  ? 

1.  By  mutual  visitation.  Very  much  may  be 
done  by  social  intercourse.  Two  teachers  can 
scarcely  converse  together  an  hour  without  bene- 
fiting each  other.    The  advantages  of  intercourse 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  335 

Dr.  Young.— Even  one's  faults  may  instruct  us. 

with  friends,  as  delineated  by  Dr.  Young,  may  not 
be  denied  to  teachers  : 

"Hast  thou  no  friend  to  set  thy  mind  abroach? 
Good  sense  will  stagnate.    Thoughts  shut  up  want  air. 
And  spoil  like  bales  imopened  to  the  sun. 
Had  thought  been  all,  sweet  speech  had  been  denied. 

Thought,  too,  delivered,  is  the  more  possessed: 
Teaching,  we  leam;  and  giving,  we  retain 
The  births  of  intellect;  when  diimb,  forgot 
Speech  ventilates  our  intellectual  fire ; 
Speech  burnishes  our  mental  magazine. 
Brightens  for  ornament,  and  whets  for  use." 

But  not  only  should  teachers  visit  one  another, — 
it  is  profitable  also  for  them  to  visit  each  other's 
schools.  I  have  never  spent  an  hour  in  the  school 
of  another  without  gaining  some  instruction. 
Sometimes  a  new  way  of  illustrating  a  difficult 
point,  sometimes  an  exhibition  of  tact  in  manag- 
ing  a  difficult  case  in  discipline,  sometimes  an 
improved  method  of  keeping  up  the  interest  in 
a  class,  would  suggest  the  means  of  making  my 
own  labors  the  more  successful.  And  even  should 
one's  neighbor  be  a  bad  teacher,  one  may  some- 
times learn  as  much  from  witnessing  glaring  de- 
fects as  great  excellences.  Some  of  the  most 
profitable  lessons  I  have  ever  received,  have  been 
drawn  from  the  deficiences  of  a  fellow  teacher. 
We  seldom  "see  ourselves  as  others  see  us";  and 
we  are  often  insensible  of  our  own  faults  till  we 
have  seen  them  strikingly  exhibited  by  another; 
and  then  by  a  comparison  we  correct  our  own. 

Besides,  by  a  visitation  of  a  friend's  school  we 
may  not  only  receive  good,  but  we  may  impart 


336  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Stated  teachers'  meetings. — Their  use.— Employ  the  pen. 


it.  If  there  is  mutual  confidence,  a  few  words 
may  aid  him  to  correct  his  faults,  if  he  has  any, 
— faults  which,  but  for  such  suggestion,  might 
^row  into  confirmed  habits,  to  his  permanent 
injury. 

So  important  is  this  mutual  visitation  among 
teachers,  as  a  means  of  improvement,  that  I 
doubt  not  employers  would  find  it  for  their  in- 
terest to  encourage  it,  by  allowing  the  teachers 
to  set  apart  an  occasional  half  day  for  this 
purpose. 

It  would,  moreover,  be  very  useful  for  the 
teachers  of  a  town  to  hold  stated  meetings,  as 
often  as  once  a  month,  for  the  purpose  of  mu- 
tual improvement.  It  would  cultivate  a  fellow- 
feeling  among  them,  and  it  would  afford  them 
an  opportunity  to  exchange  thoughts  on  most  of 
the  difficulties  which  they  meet  in  their  schools, 
and  the  best  methods  of  surmounting  them.  At 
these  meetings,  a  mutual  exchange  of  books  on 
the  subject  of  teaching,  would  extend  the  facih- 
ties  of  each  for  improving  his  own  mind,  and 
his  methods  of  instruction  and  government. 

2.  By  the  use  of  the  pen.  Every  teacher 
should  be  a  ready  writer.  Nearly  every  teacher 
could  gain  access  to  the  columns  of  some  paper, 
through  which  he  could  impart  the  results  of  his 
experience,  or  of  his  reflection.  Such  a  course 
would  benefit  him  specially,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  it  would  awaken  other  minds  to  thought 
and   action.    In  this  way  the  attention,  not  only 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  337 

Teachers'  Associations.— Institutes.— Their  utility. 

of  teachers,  but  also  of  parents,  would  be  called  to 
the  great  work  of  education.  One  mind  in  this 
way  might  move  a  thousand.  If  a  teacher  does 
not  feel  qualified  to  instruct,  let  him  inquire,  and 
thus  call  out  the  wisdom  of  others.  This  could 
be  done  in  nearly  every  village.  The  press  is 
almost  always  ready  to  promote  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. By  the  use  of  it,  teachers  may  profitably 
discuss  all  the  great  questions  pertaining  to  their 
duty,  and  at  the  same  time  enlighten  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  live.  This  is  an  instru- 
mentality as  yet  too  little  employed. 

3.  By  Teachers'  Associations  or  Institutes. 
These  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  diffusion  of 
tne  best  plans  of  instruction.  Rightly  conducted, 
they  can  never  fail  of  being  useful.  Every  man 
who  lectures  or  teaches,  is  profited  by  the  prep- 
aration. If  he  is  a  man  of  wisdom  and  experi- 
ence, he  will  benefit  his  hearers.  If  otherwise, 
the  discussion,  which  should  ever  follow  a  lect- 
ure, will  expose  its  fallacies.  It  has  often  hap- 
pened, in  such  associations,  that  an  honest  and 
experienced  man  has,  in  a  half-hour,  given  to  the 
younger  portion  of  the  members,  lessons  of  wis- 
dom which  it  would  take  them  years  to  learn  by 
their  own  observation.  Errors  in  principle  and 
practice  have  been  exposed,  into  which  many  a 
young  teacher  was  unconsciously  falling,  and 
hints  have  been  given  to  the  quicker  minds,  by 
which  their  own  modes  of  teaching  and  govern- 
ing have  been  speedily  improved. 


338  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Should  be  practical.— A  perversion.— Talk. 

As  far  as  possible,  such  meetings  should  be 
made  strictly  practical.  The  older  teachers,  who 
usually  have  the  most  to  do  with  the  manage- 
ment of  them,  should  bear  in  mind  that  they  are 
mainly  designed  to  diffuse  practical  ideas  of 
teaching,  particularly  among  the  younger  mem- 
bers. Too  often  these  meetings  are  made  the 
arena  of  debate  upon  questions  of  very  little 
practical  importance  to  the  teacher.  I  have  seen 
a  body  of  men  spend  an  entire  session  of  a  half- 
day,  in  discussing  a  series  of  over-wrought  reso- 
lutions,  upon  some  topic  scarcely  at  all  connected 
with  any  duty  of  the  teacher,  frequently  leaving 
the  main  question  to  wrangle  about  some  point 
of  order,  or  of  "  parliamentary  usage  " ;  and  after 
the  resolutions  were  passed  or  rejected,  as  the 
case  might  be, — (and  it  was  of  very  little  conse- 
quence whether  "  carried  "  or  "  lost," ) — the  ladies 
and  younger  teachers,  who  had  borne  no  part  in 
the  talk^  would  find  it  difficult  to  tell  "  wherefore 
they  had  come  together."  Nothing  had  been  said 
or  done,  by  which  they  could  be  aided  in  their 
schools.  Lecturers,  too,  have  frequently  mistaken 
their  aim.  Ambitious  to  shine  out  as  literary 
men,  they  have  given  orations  instead  of  practi- 
cal lessons.  In  these  meetings,  it  seems  to  me, 
nothing  ostentatious,  nothing  far-fetched  is  what 
we  need ;  but  rather  tlje  modes  and  experience 
of  practical  men.  We  need  to  come  down  to 
the  school-room,  to  the  every-day  business  of 
the    teacher,    and   thus    prepare   him    to   do   his 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  339 

Encouragement  by  meeting  friends.— Illustration.— PTO/■e8«^07^a^  feeling. 

work  more  successfully  on  his  return  to  his 
duties. 

Another,  and  no  inconsiderable  advantage  of 
such  associations,  is,  that  the  teacher  gains  en- 
couragement and  strength,  by  being  thus  brought 
in  contact  with,  others  engaged  in  the  same  pur- 
suit. Toiling  on  alone,  in  his  isolated  district, 
surrounded  by  obstacles  and  discouragements, 
weighed  down  by  care,  and  finding  none  to  sym- 
pathize with  him,  he  is  almost  ready  to  faint  in 
his  course,  and  perhaps  to  abandon  his  calling. 
At  this  crisis,  he  reads  the  notice  for  the  teach- 
ers' meeting,  and  he  resolves  to  go  up  once  more 
to  the  gathering  of  his  friends.  From  the  various 
parts  of  the  county,  from  the  populous  and 
crowded  city,  and  from  the  by-ways  of  the 
country  towns,  a  goodly  number  collect  together 
and  greet  each  other.  Smile  answers  to  smile, 
the  blood  courses  more  freely  through  the  veins, 
the  spirits,  long  depressed  perhaps,  partake  of 
the  general  glow,  and  each  feels  that  he  is  not 
toiling  alone.  He  feels  that  a  noble  brotherhood 
of  kindred  spirits  are  laboring  in  the  same  field, 
under  trials  and  discouragements  similar  to  those 
which  have  oppressed  him.  He  derives  new 
strength  from  the  sympathy  of  friends. 

A  professional  feeling  is  engendered,  which 
will  accompany  him  to  his  school-room ;  and 
when  he  goes  home,  it  is  with  renewed  vigor 
and  fresh  aspirings  to  be  a  better  man,  and  a 
better  teacher.     He  labors  with  more  confidence 


840  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

Pupils  work  better.— Objects  of  Teachers'  Institute. 

in  himself ;  and,  enlightened  by  what  he  has 
seen  and  heard,  he  is  far  more  successful  than 
before.  His  pupils,  too,  respond  to  the  new  life 
they  see  enkindling  in  him,  and  go  to  their  work 
more  cheerfully.  One  difficulty  after  another 
vanishes,  and  he  begins  to  think  teaching,  after 
all,  is  not  the  worst  employment  in  the  world, 
but  that  it  has  some  flowers  as  well  as  thorns ; 
and  he  concludes  to  remain  in  the  profession. 
This  has  been  the  history  of  at  least  one  man. 
Long  may  many  others  have  occasion  to  exer- 
cise gratitude  like  his,  for  the  enjoyment  of  sim- 
ilar privileges. 

The  Teachers'  Institute  may  be  defined  as  a 
normal  school  having  a  very  short  course  of 
study.  Owing  to  this  limitation  of  time,  instruc- 
tion must  be  given  mainly  by  lecture,  and  must 
bear  on  methods  and  principles  rather  than  on 
subjects.  It  should  not  be  presumed  that  an 
Institute  can  make  any  considerable  addition  to 
a  teacher's  general  scholarship ;  but  it  may  and 
should  do  the  following  things : 

1.  It  should  make  clear  the  nature  of  educa- 
tion and  of  instruction,  and  the  purposes  of  the 
school. 

2.  It  should  present  the  best  current  methods 
of  instructing  and  governing. 

3.  It  should  awaken  a  zeal  in  teaching,  and 
provoke  to  higher  attainments  in  scholarship, 

4.  Perhaps  the  Institute  has  done  its  best  work 
if  it   has   led   to   what  may  be  called   the   intel- 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  341 

limitations. — Experience  must  be  truly  stated. 

lectual  conversion  of  its  members ;  that  is,  if  it 
has  induced  a  love  for  the  vocation  of  the  scholar. 

The  Teacners'  Institute  is  subject  to  serious 
hmitations,  such  as  the  shortness  of  its  term,  the 
method  by  which  the  instruction  must  be  given, 
and  the  too  often  aimless  nature  of  the  attend- 
ance ;  but  despite  these  drawbacks,  there  is  proba- 
bly no  agency  now  at  work,  which  is  so  efficient 
in  disseminating  improved  methods,  and  in  rais- 
ing the  general  tone  of  educational  thought. 

I  ought  not  to  leave  this  subject  without  a 
word  or  two  of  caution. 

1.  Be  honest.  In  all  your  intercourse  with 
your  fellow-teachers,  be  careful  to  use  the  words 
of  "truth  and  soberness."  In  stating  your  expe- 
rience, never  allow  your  fancy  to  embellish  your 
facts.  Of  this  there  is  great  danger.  The  young 
are  sometimes  tempted  to  tell  a  good  story ;  but 
a  deviation  from  the  truth — always  perilous  and 
always  wrong — may  be  peculiarly  disastrous  here. 
Experience  overstated,  may  egregiously  mislead 
the  unwary  inquirer  after  truth.  Never  over- 
color  the  picture ;  it  is  better  to  err  on  the 
other  side. 

So,  likewise,  in  exhibiting  your  school  to  fellow- 
teachers,  be  strictly  honest.  They  come  to  learn 
from  your  every-day  practice,  and  not  from  a 
counterfeit ;  and  whenever  you  dress  your  school 
in  a  showy  garb,  to  win  the  applause  of  a  fellow- 
teacher,  you  do  him  a  great  injustice.  You  may 
not  please  your  friend  so  much  by  your  ordinary 


342  TEACHER'S     RELATION 

"Nothing  extraordvimry.'''' — Avoid  imitation. 

mode,  as  by  something  assumed  for  the  occa- 
sion ;  but  you  may  profit  him  far  more  ;  and  in 
the  end,  you  lose  nothing  by  pursuing  the  hne 
of  duty. 

I  well  remember,  that  a  somewhat  distin- 
guished teacher  once  visited  my  own  school,  who, 
on  going  away,  expressed  himself  somewhat  dis- 
appointed, because  he  did  not  see  any  thing  "ea;- 
traordinary ^''^  as  he  said,  in  my  mode  of  pro- 
cedure. The  truth  was,  nothing  extraordinary 
was  attempted.  He  saw  what  I  wished  to  show 
him,  an  ordinary  day's  work ;  for  I  had  before 
that  time  imbibed  the  opinion,  that  a  man's  repu- 
tation will  be  more  firmly  established,  by  sustain- 
ing every  day  a  fair  mediocrity,  than  it  ever  can 
be  by  an  attempt  to  outdo  himself  on  a  few  special 
occasions.  As  the  value  of  biographical  writing 
is  often  very  much  diminished,  because  the  writer 
has  endeavored  to  paint  his  character  too  perfect 
to  be  human, — so  these  visitations  will  lose  their 
utility,  whenever,  by  substituting  hollow  preten- 
sion for  sober  reality,  the  teacher  endeavors  to 
exhibit  such  a  school  as  he  does  not  daily  keep. 

2.  Avoid  servile  imitation  of  any  model.  It  is 
often  remarked,  that  every  man's  plan  is  the  best 
for  him ;  and  that  many  besides  David  can  never 
fight  in  Saul's  armor.  This  is  generally  true.  All 
experience,  then,  should  be  considered,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was 
tried,  never  forgetting  the  character  and  genius  of 
the  person  who  relates  it.     What  might  succeed 


TO     HIS     PROFESSION.  343 

Adapt  rather  than  adopt  another's  plans.— Avoid  self-sufficiency. 

in  his  hand,  may  fail  in  yours  ;  particularly,  as 
you  will  lack  the  interest  of  an  original  inventor. 

The  true  secret  lies  in  listening  to  the  views 
of  all,  and  then  in  making  a  judicious  combina- 
tion to  meet  your  own  character,  and  your  own 
circumstances.  It  is  often  better  to  adjust  and 
adapt  the  plan  of  another,  than  to  adopt  it. 
Servile  imitation  precludes  thought  in  the  teacher, 
and  reduces  him  to  a  mere  machine.  The  most 
successful  teachers  I  have  ever  known,  were  those 
who  would  listen  attentively  to  the  plans  and 
experience  of  others,  and  then  strike  out  a  course 
for  themselves,  attempting  that,  and  that  only, 
which  they  were  confident  they  could  successfully 
execute. 

3.  Avoid  undue  self-sufficiency.  Men  usually 
cease  to  learn,  when  they  think  they  are  wise 
enough.  The  teacher  is  in  danger  of  falling  into 
this  error.  Moving  for  the  most  part  among  chil- 
dren, where  his  decisions  are  seldom  questioned, 
he  is  veiy  apt  to  attach  undue  importance  to  his 
own  opinions.  Such  a  man  meets  his  fellows 
with  much  self-complacency,  and  is  but  poorly 
prepared  to  be  profited  by  the  views  of  others. 
But  the  teacher  should  never  cease  to  be  teach- 
able.  There  are  very  few  men  too  old,  or  too 
wise,  to  learn  something ;  and  they  are  the  wisest, 
if  not  the  oldest,  who  are  willing  to  welcome  a 
real  improvement,  even  though  it  should  come 
from  comparative  "babes  and  sucklings,"  out  of 
tvhose  mouths  God  has  sometimes  perfected  praise. 


CHAPTER    XY. 

MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

ON  looking  over  the  notes  which  I  have  at 
various  times  made  of  my  own  experience 
and  observation,  during  twenty  years  of  practical 
teaching,  I  find  there  are  several  thoughts  which 
may  be  of  some  service  to  the  young  teacher, 
and  which  have  not  been  introduced  under  any 
of  the  general  topics  of  this  volume.  I  have 
therefore  thought  best  to  introduce  a  special 
chapter,  with  the  above  title,  where  I  might  law- 
fully bring  together,  without  much  regard  to 
method,  such  varied  hints  as  may  convey  to 
some  reader  a  useful  lesson.  Some  of  these 
hints  will  refer  to  faults  which  should  be  care- 
fully avoided^  while  others  will  point  out  some 
duties  to  be  performed. 

SECTION    I.— THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED. 

1.  Guard  against  prejudice  on  entering  a 
school.  It  is  not  always  safe  to  rely  upon  first 
impressions  as  to  character.  At  the  opening  of 
a  school,  perhaps  fifty  individuals,  for  the  first 
time,  are  brought  before  the  teacher.  Some  of 
them   are   from   humble  life,  and,  perhaps,  bear 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  345 

Danger  of  prejudice.— Its  injustice.— Why? 

upon  them  the  marks  of  parental  neglect.  Their 
persons  and  their  clothing  may  present  nothing 
to  attract  and  gratify  the  eye  of  a  stranger. 
Little  accustomed  to  society,  they  exhibit  an 
awkward  bashfulness,  or  an  impertinent  forward- 
ness, in  their  manner.  Contrasted  with  these, 
others  appear  who  have  been  the  children  of 
indulgence,  and  who  have  seen  much  more  of 
the  world.  A  more  expensive  garb  attracts  the 
eye  ;  a  more  easy  and  familiar  address,  conform- 
ing to  the  artificial  modes  of  society,  is  very 
likely  to  win  the  heart.  The  teacher  is  very 
prone  to  find  his  feelings  committed  in  favor  of 
the  latter  class,  and  against  the  former.  But 
this  is  all  wrong.  A  judgment  thus  hastily 
formed  is  extremely  hazardous, — as  a  few  days' 
acquaintance  will  usually  show.  The  child  of 
blunt  or  shy  demeanor  often  has  the  truest 
heart, — a  heart  whose  sentiments  go  out  by  the 
shortest  course, — a  heart  that  has  never  learned 
the  artificial  forms  of  the  world,  because  it  has 
never  felt  the  need  of  them.  And  how  unjust 
to  the  child  is  a  prejudice  founded  on  the  cir- 
cumstance of  dress !  Must  the  inability  or 
neglect  of  his  parent  be  doubly  visited  on  him? 
Is  it  not  enough  that  he  daily  feels  the  inward 
mortification  of  a  contrast  with  his  more  favored 
school-fellows  ?  Must  he  be  painfully  reminded  of 
it  by  discovering  that  his  teacher  repels  him  on 
that  account,  and  bestows  his  kindliest  smiles  upon 
those  who  are  "  the  brightest  and  best  clad  "  ? 


S46  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Pupils  not  to  direct  their  studies.— Tliis  the  teacher's  proviiice. 

And  yet,  such  unjust  prejudice  is  common ; 
wrong  and  unfeeling  as  it  is,  it  is  too  common. 
A  fine  dress,  and  a  clean  face,  and  a  graceful 
manner,  I  know,  are  attractive  ;  but  the  teacher 
has  to  do  with  the  mind  and  the  heart ; — and  he 
should  never  be  deterred  by  any  thing  exterior, 
from  making  a  diligent  and  patient  search  for 
good  qualities  which  have  their  home  behind  the 
surface, — and  he  should  ever  possess  a  smile  as 
cordial  and  a  tone  as  parental  for  the  neglected 
child  of  poverty  and  ignorance,  as  for  the  more 
favored  son  of  wealth  and  ease, 

2.  Do  not  allow  your  pupils  to  direct  their 
own  studies.  Whatever  their  age  may  be,  they 
are  seldom  capable  of  doing  this.  It  is  the  aim 
of  the  young  to  get  over  a  long  course  of  study. 
They  are  usually  pleased  to  belong  to  higher 
classes,  before  they  have  mastered  the  branches 
taught  in  the  lower.  If  children  are  suffered  to 
direct  their  own  studies,  they  usually  make 
themselves  very  poor  scholars.  This  is  the  bane 
of  many  of  our  select  schools  and  academies, 
where  the  teacher  yields  this  right  in  order  to 
Secure  pupils  and  a  salary.  But  no  one,  not  even 
the  parent,  is  as  competent  as  the  teacher  ought 
to  be,  to  direct  in  this  matter.  He  has  the  best 
opportunity,  daily,  to  fathom  the  pupil's  attain- 
ments, and  to  understand  his  deficiencies.  He 
may  claim  the  right  to  direct.  In  case  the  pupil 
withstands  his  decision,  the  teacher  should  appeal 
to  the  parent,  and  endeavor  there  to  sustain  his 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.         347 
A  mistake.— An  egregious  evil  in  all  schools.— Illustrated. 

point,  a  thing  generally  within  his  power,  if, 
indeed,  he  is  right.  If  the  parent,  too,  is  obsti- 
nate,  and  firmly  insists  upon  the  wrong  course, 
the  teacher  may,  perhaps,  submit,  though  he 
can  not  submit  without  the  consciousness  that 
his  province  has  been  invaded. 

It  is  too  frequently  the  case  that  the  teacher 
at  the  first  yields  all  this  ground  voluntarily,  by 
asking  the  children  what  they  wish  to  study, 
'WTien  he  has  once  made  them  a  party  in  this 
question,  he  need  not  wonder  if  they  claim  to  be 
heard.  This  he  should  not  do.  He  should  first 
be  sure  that  he  is  qualified  to  direct  aright,  and 
then,  as  a  matter  of  course,  proceed  to  do  it, 
just  as  the  physician  would  prescribe  for  the 
physical  malady  of  such  a  child.  The  latter  is 
not  more  the  rightful  duty  of  the  physician,  than 
the  former  is  of  the  school-teacher.  Neither  has 
the  power  to  enforce  his  prescription  against  the 
parents'  consent, — but  that  consent  may  be  taken 
for  granted  by  both,  till  informed  that  it  is 
withheld. 

I  may  here  remark  that  in  all  my  intercourse 
with  the  young,  whether  in  the  common  or  the 
higher  school,  I  have  found  no  greater  evil  than 
that  of  proceeding  to  the  more  difficult  branches 
before  the  elementary  studies  have  been  mastered. 
It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  those  who  have 
"attended"  to  the  higher  mathematics — algebra, 
geometry,  and  the  like — whose  reading  and  writ- 
ing  are    wretched    in    the    extreme,    and   whose 


34:8  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Do  not  attempt  too  many  things. 

spelling  is  absolutely  intolerable !  They  have 
been  pursuing  quadratics,  but  are  unable  to  ex- 
plain why  they  "  carry  one  for  every  ten  " ;  they 
have  wandered  among  the  stars  in  search  of 
other  worlds,  by  the  science  of  astronomy,  with- 
out knowing  the  most  simple  points  in  the 
geography  of  our  own ;  they  have  studied  loga- 
rithms and  infinite  series,  but  can  not  be  safely 
trusted  to  add  a  column  of  figures  or  to  com- 
pute the  simple  interest  upon  a  common  note  ! 
In  short,  they  have  studied  every  thing,  except 
what  is  most  useful  to  be  known  in  practical 
life,  and  have  really  learned — nothing  ! 

Now  if  this  evil — grievous  and  extensive  as  it 
is  at  present — is  destined  ever  to  be  abated,  it  is 
to  be  accomplished  by  the  instrumentality  of  the 
teacher,  acting  in  his  appropriate  sphere,  in  the 
capacity  of  a  director  as  to  the  course  of  study 
for  the  young.  He  must  not  be  a  man  who  can 
merely  teach,  but  one  who  understands  the  high 
import  of  a  true  education,  and  knows  how  to 
prescribe  the  order  of  its  progress ;  one,  in  short, 
who  will  never  attempt  to  erect  a  showy  super- 
structure upon  an  insufficient  foundation. 

3.  Do  not  attempt  to  teach  too  many  things. 
There  is  a  tendency  at  present  to  introduce  too 
many  things  into  all  our  schools.  Nothing  is 
more  common  than  to  hear  our  public  lecturers 
declare,  as  they  become  a  little  enthusiastic  in 
any  given  department,  that  "this  branch  should 
at  once  be  made  a  study  in  our  common  schools." 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  349 

Make  no  ambiguous  mark  upon  mind. — "  Mind  your  business." 


This  is  heard  of  almost  the  whole  round  of  the 
natural  sciences.  But  it  seems  to  me  to  be  dic- 
tated by  over-wrought  enthusiasm.  Every  thing 
can  not  he  ivell  taught  in  our  schools ;  nor  should 
too  much  be  attempted.  It  is  the  province  of 
our  schools — particularly  our  common  schools — 
to  afford  thorough  instruction  in  a  few  things,  and 
to  awaken  a  desire  for  more  extended  attain- 
ment. The  instruction  given  should,  as  far  as 
possible,  be  complete  in  itself, — while  it  should 
afford  the  means  of  making  further  advance- 
ment ;  but  that  instruction  which  being  merely 
superficial,  neither  itself  informs  the  mind  nor 
imparts  the  desire  and  the  means  of  future  self- 
improvement,  is  worse  than  useless ;  it  is  posi- 
tively injurious.  A  few  branches  thoroughly 
possessed  are  worth  more  than  a  thousand  merely 
glanced  at, — and  the  idea  of  changing  our  com- 
mon schools  to  universities,  where  our  children, 
before  they  pass  from  the  years  of  their  baby- 
hood, are  to  grasp  the  whole  range  of  the  sciences, 
is  one  of  the  most  preposterous  that  has  grown 
up  even  in  this  age  of  follies.  The  teacher,  then, 
should  not  undertake  too  much ;  he  should  be 
sure  that  he  can  accomplish  what  he  undertakes. 
The  'mark  he  makes  upon  the  young  should  be 
no  uncertain  sign. 

4.  Never  attend  to  extraneous  business  in 
school  hours.  This  is  a  common  fault.  Many 
teachers  neglect  their  duties  in  school  to  write 
letters,  or  transact  such  other  business  as  should 


350  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Excuses.— Dr.  Frankliii's  remark.— An  illustration. 

be  done  at  home.  This  is  always  wrong.  There 
is  no  time  for  it  in  any  school ;  for  a  diligent 
teacher  can  always  find  full  employment  even 
with  a  small  number.  Besides,  he  has  engaged 
to  devote  himself  to  the  school ;  and  any  depart- 
ure from  this  is  a  violation  of  his  contract. 
The  children  will  so  view  it,  and  thus  lose  much 
of  their  respect  for  the  teacher.  Moreover,  if 
they  see  him  neglect  his  business  for  some  other, 
they  will  be  very  likely  to  neglect  theirs,  and 
thus  disorder  will  be  introduced.  I  hold  that  the 
teacher  is  bound  to  devote  every  inoment  of 
school  hours  to  active  labor  for  the  school. 

5.  Avoid  making  excuses  to  visitors  for  the 
defects  of  your  school.  Franklin,  I  think,  said  that 
"  a  man  who  is  good  for  making  excuses,  is  good 
for  nothing  else."  I  have  often  thought  of  this 
as  I  have  visited  the  schools  of  persons  given  to 
this  failing.  It  is  sometimes  quite  amusing  to 
hear  such  a  teacher  keep  up  a  sort  of  running 
apology  for  the  various  pupils.  A  class  is  called  to 
read.  The  teacher  remarks,  ''This  class  have  but 
just  commenced  reading  in  this  book."  Stephen 
finishes  the  first  paragraph,  and  the  teacher  adds, 
"  Stephen  has  not  attended  school  very  regularly 
lately."  William  reads  the  second.  "This  boy," 
says  the  teacher,  "was  very  backward  when  I 
came  here — he  has  but  just  joined  this  class." 
Charles  executes  the  third.  "That  boy  has  an 
impediment  in  his  speech."  Reuben  follows.  "It 
is   almost   impossible   to   make   a  good  reader  of 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  351 

Pity  excited.—"  "When  /  came  here." 

Reuben ;  he  never  seems  to  pay  the  least  atten- 
tion. I  have  bestowed  unwearied  pains  upon 
him."  Mary  takes  her  turn.  "  This  girl  has  lost 
her  book,  and  her  father  refuses  to  buy  her  an= 
other."  Mary  here  blushes  to  the  eyes,  —  for 
though  she  could  bear  his  reproof,  she  still  has 
some  sense  of  family  pride  ;  she  bursts  into  tears, 
while  Martha  reads  the  next  paragraph.  "  I  have 
tried  all  along,"  says  the  teacher,  "to  make  this 
girl  raise  her  voice,  but  still  she  will  almost  stifle 
her  words."  Martha  looks  dejected,  and  the  next 
in  order  makes  an  attempt. 

Now,  the  teacher  in  all  this  has  no  malicious 
design  to  wound  the  feelings  of  every  child  in 
the  class, — and  yet  he  as  effectually  accomplishes 
that  result  as  if  he  had  premeditated  it.  Every 
scholar  is  interested  to  read  as  well  as  possible 
in  the  presence  of  strangers ;  every  one  makes 
the  effort  *to  do  so ;  yet  every  one  is  practically 
pronounced  to  have  failed.  The  visitors  pity  the 
poor  pupils  for  the  pain  they  are  made  thus  need- 
lessly to  suffer,  and  they  pity  also  the  weakness 
of  the  poor  teacher^  whose  love  of  approbation  has 
so  blinded  his  own  perception  that  he  is  regard- 
less of  the  feelings  of  others,  and  thinks  of  nothing 
but  his  own. 

This  over-anxiety  for  the  good  opinion  of  others 
shows  itself  in  a  still  less  amiable  light,  when  the 
teacher  frequently  makes  unfavorable  allusions  to 
his  predecessor.  "When  I  came  here^'  says  the 
teacher,  significantly,  "  I  found  them  all  poor  read- 


352  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Meanness.—"  How  old  are  you  ? " — Such  arts  recoil. 

ers."  Or,  if  a  little  disorder  occurs  in  school,  he 
takes  care  to  add,  "  I  found  the  school  in  perfect 
confusion," — or,  "the  former  teacher,  as  near  as  I 
can  learn,  used  to  allow  the  children  to  talk  and 
play  as  much  as  they  pleased."  Now,  whatever 
view  we  take  of  such  a  course,  it  is  impossible  to 
pronounce  it  any  thing  better  than  despicable 
meanness.  For  if  the  charge  is  true,  it  is  by  no 
means  magnanimous  to  publish  the  faults  of  an- 
other ;  and  if  it  is  untrue  in  whole  or  in  part,  as 
most  likely  it  is,  none  but  a  contemptible  person 
would  magnify  another's  failings  to  mitigate  his 
own. 

There  is  still  another  way  in  which  this  love 
of  personal  applause  exhibits  itself.  I  have  seen 
teachers  call  upon  their  brightest  scholars  to  re- 
cite, and  then  ask  them  to  tell  their  age,  in  order 
to  remind  the  visitor  that  they  were  very  young 
to  do  so  well ;  and  then  insinuate  that  their  older 
pupils  could  of  course  do  much  better. 

All  these  arts,  however,  recoil  upon  the  teacher 
who  uses  them.  A  visitor  of  any  discernment 
sees  through  them  at  once,  and  immediately  sus- 
pects the  teacher  of  conscious  incompetency  or 
willful  deception.  The  pupils  lose  their  respect 
for  a  man  whom  they  all  perceive  to  be  acting  a 
dishonorable  part.  I  repeat,  then,  never  attempt 
to  cover  the  defects  of  your  schools  hy  tnahing 
ridiculous  excuses. 

6.  Never  compare  one  child  luith  another.  It 
is  a  poor  way  of  stimulating  a  dull  pupil  to  com- 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  353 

Tenderness  to  a  duU  child.— Kindness  and  patience  stimulate. 

pare  him  with  a  better  scholar.  It  is  the  direct 
way  to  engender  hatred  in  the  mind  of  the  one, 
and  the  most  consummate  self-complacency  in 
the  other.  Not  one  child  in  a  thousand  can  be 
publicly  held  up  to  the  school  as  a  pattern  of  ex- 
cellence, without  becoming  excessively  vain ;  at 
the  same  time,  all  the  other  scholars  will  be  more 
or  less  excited  to  envy.  Such  a  course  is  always 
unsafe ;  almost  always  injurious. 

7.  Avoid  wounding  the  sensibilities  of  a  dull 
child.  There  will  always  be  those  in  every  school 
who  are  slow  to  comprehend.  After  their  class- 
mates have  grasped  an  idea  during  the  teacher's 
explanation,  they  still  have  the  vacant  stare,  the 
unintelligent  expression.  This  may  be  so  after  a 
second  or  a  third  explanation.  The  teacher  is  now 
strongly  tempted  to  indulge  in  expressions  of  im- 
patience, if  not  of  opprobrium.  This  temptation 
he  should  resist.  Such  children  are  to  be  pitied 
for  their  dullness ;  but  never  to  be  censured  for 
it.  It  is  an  unfeeling  thing  to  sting  the  soul 
that  is  already  benighted.  He  should  cheer  and 
encourage  such  a  slow  mind  to  greater  effort,  by 
the  sunshine  of  kind  looks  and  the  warm  breath 
of  sympathy,  rather  than  freeze  up  the  feeble 
current  of  vivacity  which  yet  remains  there  by  a 
forbidding  frown  or  a  blast  of  reproach.  A  dull 
child  is  almost  always  affectionate ;  and  it  is 
through  the  medium  of  kindness  and  patience 
that  such  a  one  is  most  effectually  stimulated. 

8.  Never   lose    your  patience   when  parents 


354  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS, 


Never  get  out  of  temi>er  with  parents.— Why  f— An  incident. 

unreasonably  interfere  with  your  plans.  It  must 
be  expected  that  some  of  the  parents  will  wish 
to  dictate  to  the  teacher  what  course  he  shall 
pursue,  at  least  in  relation  to  their  own  children. 
This  will  sometimes  bring  them  to  the  school- 
room, perhaps  in  a  tone  of  complaint,  to  set  the 
teacher  right.  "Wlienever  a  parent  thus  steps  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  propriety,  the  teacher  should 
never  lose  his  self-possession.  He  should  always 
speak  the  language  of  courtesy,  in  frankness,  but 
in  firmness.  He  should  reason  with  the  parent, 
and  if  possible  convince  him, — but  he  should 
never  insult  nor  abuse  him.  It  may  be  well  to 
propose  to  see  him  at  his  own  house,  in  order  to 
talk  over  the  matter  more  at  his  leisure.  I  recol- 
lect once  a  parent  sent  a  hasty  refusal  to  pur- 
chase a  necessary  book  for  his  son, — a  refusal 
clothed  in  no  very  respectful  language.  I  gave 
the  lad  a  courteous  note  directed  to  his  father, 
in  which  I  intimated  my  desire  to  have  an  inter- 
view with  him  at  his  house  at  such  time  as  he 
might  appoint.  In  half  an  hour  the  boy  came 
bounding  back  with  the  desired  book,  informing 
me  that  his  father  said,  "  he  guessed  he  might  as 
well  get  the  book,  and  done  with  it."  My  inter- 
course with  that  parent  was  ever  afterward  of 
the  most  pleasant  kind.  A  supercilious  parent 
can  never  gain  an  advantage  over  a  teacher,  un- 
less he  can  first  provoke  him  to  impatience  or 
anger.  As  long  as  the  teacher  is  perfectly  self- 
possessed  he  is  impregnable. 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  355 

The  study  of  the  Bible.— Eide  no  hobbies  in  teaching. 


9.  Never  make  the  study  of  the  Bible  a  pun- 
ishment. I  have  known  a  teacher  to  assign  sun- 
dry passages  of  the  Bible,  condemnatory  of  a 
particular  sin,  to  be  committed  to  memory  as  a 
punishment.  I  have  also  known  the  idle  scholar 
to  be  detained  after  school  to  study  passages  of 
Scripture,  because  he  had  failed  to  learn  his 
other  lessons  in  due  time.  I  believe  this  to  be 
bad  policy,  as  well  as  doubtful  religion.  The  les- 
sons that  a  child  thus  learns  are  always  con- 
nected, in  his  mind,  with  unpleasant  associations. 
His  heart  is  not  made  better  by  truths  thus 
learned.  The  Bible,  indeed,  should  be  studied  by 
the  young ;  but  they  should  be  attracted  to  it  by 
the  spirit  of  love,  rather  than  driven  to  it  by  the 
spirit  of  vindictiveness.  They  who  suppose  that 
children  can  be  made  to  love  the  Bible  by  being 
thus  driven  to  the  study  of  it,  have  sadly  mis- 
taken the  human  heart. 

10.  Ride  no  ^^ hobbies''  in  teaching.  Almost 
every  man,  in  whatever  vocation,  has  some  hobby, 
some  "o?^e  idea,''  which  he  pushes  forward  on  all 
occasions,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  conse- 
quences. It  is  not  strange  that  it  is  often  thus 
with  the  teacher.  If  the  teacher  has  any  inde- 
pendence of  mind,  any  originality,  he  will,  at 
some  period  in  life,  naturally  incline  to  try  some 
experiments  in  teaching.  Partly  on  account  of 
the  novelty  of  the  plan,  and  partly  on  account 
of  the  teacher's  interest  in  the  success  of  his 
own  measure,  he  finds  it  works  well  in  the  class 


356  MISCELLAKEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

A  discovery  becomes  a  Ao66y.— Oral  instruction. 

where  it  was  first  tried ;  and  he  rejoices  that  he 
has  made  a  discovery.  Teaching  now  possesses 
a  new  interest  for  him,  and  he  very  likely  be- 
comes enthusiastic.  He  applies  his  new  measure 
to  other  classes  and  loudly  recommends  it  to 
other  teachers.  For  a  time  it  succeeds,  and  it  be- 
comes his  hobby.  Whenever  a  stranger  visits  his 
school,  he  shows  off  his  new  measure.  Whenever 
he  attends  a  teachers'  meeting,  he  describes  it, 
and  perhaps  presents  a  class  of  his  pupils  to 
verify  its  excellence.  He  abandons  his  old  and 
long-tried  plans,  and  persists  in  the  new  one. 
By  and  by  the  novelty  has  worn  away,  and  his 
pupils  become  dull  under  its  operation,  and  rea- 
son suggests  that  a  return  to  the  former  methods 
would  be  advisable.  Still,  because  it  is  his  inven- 
tion, he  persists.  Others  try  the  experiment. 
Some  succeed ;  some  fail.  Some  of  them  by  a 
public  speech  commit  themselves  to  it,  and  then 
persist  in  it  to  preserve  their  consistency.  In  this 
way  a  great  many  objectionable  modes  of  teach- 
ing have  gained  currency  and  still  hold  their 
sway  in  many  of  our  schools. 

Among  these  I  might  mention  concert  recita- 
tion, and  oral  instruction  when  made  a  substi- 
tute for  study.  Of  the  origin  and  tendency  of 
the  former,  I  have  spoken  more  at  length  in  the 
chapter  on  "Conducting  Recitations."  Of  the 
latter,  a  word  or  two  may  be  said  in  this  place. 

It  was  found  years  ago,  in  the  earlier  at- 
tempts to  teach  the  blind,  that  they  made  very 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  357 

Origin  of  the  oral  7«««ta.— Baby-talk  1— Great  learning ! 

rapid  strides  in  acquiring  knowledge  tlirough  the 
sole  medium  of  oral  instruction.  As  might  have 
been  foreseen,  they  became  intensely  interested 
in  hearing  about  things  which  had  surrounded 
them  all  their  days,  but  which  they  had  never 
seen.  Shut  in  as  they  were  from  the  privilege  of 
sight,  there  was  nothing  to  distract  their  atten- 
tion from  whatever  was  communicated  to  them 
through  the  sense  of  hearing ;  and  as  they  had 
been  blind  from  their  birth,  this  discipline  of  at- 
tention had  been  going  on  from  infancy.  Under 
these  circumstances,  their  progress  in  knowledge 
by  mere  oral  teaching  was  astonishing.  This  was 
all  well.  But  soon,  some  one  conceived  the  idea 
of  substituting  oral  instruction  for  study  among 
seeing  children.  Immediately  there  was  an  oral 
mania.  Infant  schools  grew  up  in  every  vil- 
lage,— infant  school  manuals  were  prepared,  filled 
with  scientific  hahy-talk,  for  the  use  of  the 
worthy  dames  who  were  to  drive  the  hobhy^  and 
the  nineteenth  century  bade  fair  to  do  more 
toward  lighting  up  the  fires  of  science  than  all 
time  before  had  accomplished !  It  was  truly 
wonderful,  for  a  time,  to  listen  to  the  learned 
volubility  of  these  same  infant  schools.  The 
wonders  of  astronomy,  chemistry,  botany,  and 
zoology,  with  the  terms  of  Cuvier's  classification, 
and  a  thousand  other  things,  were  all  detailed 
with  astonishing  familiarity  by  pupils  under  five 
years  of  age !  Some  eminent  teachers  sagely 
took  the  hint  and   adopted  the  oral  system  with 


358  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Extended  to  higher  classes.— A  royal  road  1— Eyes  are  useless  orbs  1 

their  older  classes.  The  sciences  were  taught  by- 
lectures.  The  pupils  of  this  happy  day  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  sit  and  receive.  To  be 
sure,  sometimes,  they  would  become  inattentive, 
and  it  would  be  discovered  by  their  teachers  that 
they  did  not  retain  quite  all  that  was  told  to 
them.  This,  however,  was  no  fault  of  the  system, 
it  was  urged ;  the  system  was  well  enough,  but 
unfortunately,  the  pupils  had  eyes,  and  their 
attention  was  frequently  diverted  by  the  unlucky 
use  of  these  worthless  organs.  A  royal  road,  sure 
enough,  was  found  to  the  temple  of  science,  too 
long  beyond  mortal  reach,  by  reason  of  the 
rugged  footpath  over  which  the  student  was 
compelled  to  climb.  Happy,  glorious  day !  No 
more  must  toil  and  thought  be  the  price  of  suc- 
cess !  No  more  must  the  midnight  oil  be  con- 
sumed, and  the  brain  be  puzzled,  in  search  of 
the  wisdom  of  ages !  No  more  must  the  eyes  be 
pained — (they  are  hereafter  to  be  considered  en- 
cumbrances)— in  searching  the  classic  page ;  the 
ear  is  to  be  the  easy  inlet  to  the  soul.    *    *    * 


Such  was  the  hobby  of  1829  to  1831  in  our 
own  country.  During  sixteen  years  past,  those 
babes  of  the  infant  schools  have  grown  into 
"young  men  and  maidens,"  in  no  way  distin- 
guished, after  all,  unless  they  have  since  achieved 
distinction  by  actual  study.     The  pupils  of  those 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  359 

Gk)d  wiser  than  men.— Other  hobbies.— Patent  methods. 

higher  schools  have  obtained  whatever  they  now 
vakie  in  their  education,  mainly  by  the  use  of 
their  eyes,  notwithstanding  at  one  time  their 
worthy  guides  would  have  almost  deemed  it  a 
blessing  to  have  had  their  eyes  put  out.  It  has 
been  found  that  God  was  indeed  wise  in  the 
bestowment  of  sight, — and  some,  at  least,  have 
acknowledged  that  a  method  that  is  well  suited 
to  the  instruction  of  those  who  are  blind,  be- 
cause it  is  the  only  possible  one  for  them,  may 
not  be  the  best  for  those  who  can  see.  At  the 
present  time,  the  sentiment  begins  to  prevail, 
that  oral  instruction  can  never  supply  the  place  of 
study  ;  that  the  lecturing,  or  "  pouring-in  process," 
can  not  long  secure  the  attention ;  that  the  mind, 
by  merely  receiving,  gains  no  vigor  of  its  own ; 
and  that  scholars  must  be  made,  if  made  at  all, 
mainly  by  their  own  exertions  in  the  use  of  books. 
It  would  be  easy  to  mention  other  examples 
of  hobbies  which  have  been  ridden  by  teachers 
very  much  to  the  injury  of  their  schools.  Those 
already  given  may,  however,  suffice  for  the  pur- 
pose of  illustration.  Let  it  be  remembered,  then, 
that  no  one  method  of  instruction  comprises  all 
the  excellences  and  avoids  all  the  defects  of 
good  teaching;  and  that  he  is  the  wisest  teacher 
who  introduces  a  judicious  variety  into  his  modes 
of  instruction,  profiting  by  the  suggestions  of 
others,  but  relying  mainly  upon  his  own  careful 
observation,  eschewing  all  "patent  methods,"  and 
never  losing  his  common  sense. 


360  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Higher  branches.— Things  to  be  done.— The  scholars'  friend. 

Under  the  head  of  hohhies,  I  may  add  one 
other  remark.  Many  teachers  have  some  favorite 
branch  of  study,  in  which,  because  they  excel, 
they  take  special  delight.  One  man  is  a  good 
mathematician,  another  an  expert  accountant,  a 
third  a  skillful  grammarian.  Now  the  danger  is, 
that  the  favorite  branch  of  study  may  become 
the  hobby, — and  that  the  other  branches  will  be 
neglected.  This  is,  indeed,  not  unfrequently  the 
case. 

Again,  some  teachers  are  more  interested  in 
the  higher  branches  generally,  because  they  were 
the  last  pursued  in  their  college  course,  or  for 
some  other  reason.  They  therefore  neglect  the 
lower  studies,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  youth 
under  their  charge.  Against  all  such  partial  views, 
the  teacher  should  take  great  pains  to  guard 
himself.  He  may  fall  unconsciously  and  almost 
imperceptibly  into  some  of  these  errors.  Let  me 
add  the  caution,  then, — never  allow  your  par- 
tiality for  one  study,  or  a  class  of  studies,  to 
divert  your  attention  from  all  those  other  branches 
which  are  necessary  to  constitute  a  good  edu- 
cation. 

It  is  surely  to  the  discredit  of  teachers  that 
they  are  so  readily  "tossed  to  and  fro,  and  car- 
ried about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 
slight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness."  Growth 
or  evolution  is  entirely  consistent  with  modera- 
tion and  stability.  To  know  what  we  should 
grow    into,    we   must   trace    our    route    into    the 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  361 

Spasmodic  efforts  at  reform.— Their  results. 


future  by  the  light  of  educational  science,  and 
that  there  may  be  perfect  continuity  of  growth, 
we  must  know  the  past  and  the  present  of  edu- 
cation. We  will  gain  sureness  and  stability  in 
the  formation  of  our  opinions  by  recollecting 
that  a  course  of  practice  that  has  had  the  long 
sanction  of  the  wise  and  the  good  is  likely  to 
have  a  large  measure  of  truth  in  it ;  and  that 
"the  suppression  of  every  error  is  commonly  fol- 
lowed by  a  temporary  ascendency  of  the  contrary 
one."  {Spencer.)  Every  decade  has  its  educa- 
tional epidemic  made  possible  by  shallow  think- 
ing and  a  chronic  discontent  with  things  as  they 
are.  These  spasmodic  efforts  at  reform  are  the 
source  of  some  good  and  much  evil.  They  call 
attention  to  imperfections ;  but  by  a  gross  exag- 
geration of  defects  they  destroy  public  faith  in 
what  is  good,  and  by  the  show  of  false  lights 
betray  the  cause  of  substantial  progress.  "Prog- 
ress,"" says  the  Dictionnaire  de  Pedagogie,  "is 
not  a  force  that  acts  spasmodically,  but  is  a 
logical  and  graduated  evolution,  in  which  the 
idea  of  to-day  is  connected  with  that  of  yester- 
day, as  the  latter  is  to  a  still  more  remote  past." 

SECTION    II.— THINGS    TO    BE    PERFORMED. 

I.  Convince  your  scholars  by  your  conduct 
that  you  are  their  friend.  It  is  all-important 
that  you  should  gain  complete  ascendency  over 
the   minds   of  your   pupils.      In   no   way   is   this 


362  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Delightful  task.— Love  for  scholars,— for  teaching,— to  bs  fdt. 

point  SO  successfully  gained  as  by  leading  them 
to  feel  that  you  are  their  true  friend.  When 
they  feel  this,  all  their  sentiments  of  generosity, 
gratitude,  and  love,  conspire  to  lead  them  to 
render  cheerful  obedience  to  your  wishes.  Govern- 
ment then  becomes  easy ;  instruction  is  no  longer 
irksome  ;  and  you  can  most  cordially  respond  to 
the  poet,  in  that  beautiful  sentiment  too  seldom 
fully  realized : — 

"  Delightful  task  I  to  rear  the  tender  thought, 
And  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot, 
To  pour  the  fresh  instniction  o'er  the  mind, 
To  breathe  the  enlivening  spirit,  and  to  fix 
The  generous  purpose  in  the  glowing  breast." 

But  effectually  to  convince  them  that  you  are 
thus  their  friend,  is  not  the  work  of  a  moment. 
Words  alone  can  never  do  it.  You  may  make 
professions  of  interest  in  them,  but  it  is  all  to 
no  purpose.  Your  actions,  your  looks,  your  whole 
sjjirit  must  show  it.  In  order  thus  to  exhibit  it, 
you  must  feel  a  deep,  an  all-pervading  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  every  child.  You  must  love 
your  profession,  and  you  must  love — ^sincerely 
love — those  whom  you  are  called  to  teach.  If 
you  do  not  love  the  work  of  teaching,  and  can 
not  bring  yourself  to  love  the  children  of  your 
charge,  you  may  not  expect  success.  It  was  long 
ago  declared  that 

"liove  only  is  the  loan  for  love,"— 

and  this  is  specially  true  with  the  love  of  chil- 
dren.    Their    souls    spontaneously    go    out    after 


MISCELLAJSTEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  363 

Care  of  school-house.— Resist  the  beginnings. 

those  who  love  them.  Strive,  then,  to  gain  this 
point  with  them,  not  by  empty  pretensions, 
always  quickly  read  and  as  quickly  despised  by 
the  young;  but  by  that  full,  frank,  cordial  ex- 
pression of  kindness  in  your  manner  toward 
them,  which,  being  based  upon  deep  principle  in 
yourself,  is  sure  at  once  to  win  their  affection, 
and  their  ready  compliance  with  all  your  reason- 
able requisitions. 

II.  Take  special  care  that  the  school-house  and 
its  appendages  are  kept  in  good  order.  This  is  a 
part  of  every  teacher's  duty.  He  should  have  an 
eye  that  is  constantly  on  the  alert  to  perceive  the 
smallest  beginnings  of  injury  to  any  part  of  the 
premises.  It  is  often  painful  to  see  a  new  school- 
house,  that  has  with  much  care  and  expense  been 
put  in  perfect  order,  very  soon  cut  and  otherwise 
disfigured  by  the  pupils, — the  glass  broken,  the 
ceiling  soiled,  the  desks  and  floors  stained  with 
ink,  and  every  thing  bearing  the  marks  of  youth- 
ful destructiveness.  The  teacher  should  be  held 
accountable  for  such  results,  for  he  can  by  proper 
vigilance  prevent  them. 

Some  of  his  first  lessons  to  his  pupils  should 
be  upon  the  subject  of  practical  neatness,  in  re- 
gard to  every  thing  that  pertains  to  the  school. 
They  should  be  impressed  with  the  belief  that  he 
holds  neatness  as  a  cardinal  virtue.  Daily  should 
he  watch  to  discover  the  first  violation  of  pro- 
priety upon  the  premises.  This  first  violation 
should  be  promptly  met.    There  is  great  wisdom 


364  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 


Care  of  books,  desks,  etc.— Rights  of  property. 


in  the  adage  which  enjoins  us  to  'Wesist  the  he- 
ginning  s^ 

So,  too,  he  should  exercise  an  oversiglit  of  the 
books  belonging  to  the  pupils.  Many  books  are 
speedily  destroyed  by  children  for  the  want  of  a 
little  care  of  the  teacher, — probably  more  than 
are  worn  out  by  use.  He  should  also  occasionally 
inspect  the  desks,  with  a  view  to  promote  a  com- 
mendable neatness  there.  The  teacher  has  an 
undoubted  right  to  inspect  any  part  of  the  premi- 
ses,— but  by  a  little  adroitness  he  can  interest  the 
children  in  a  reform  of  this  kind,  and  then  they 
will  desire  that  he  should  witness  their  care- 
fulness. 

I  may  add  further,  that  the  children  should  not 
only  be  required  to  respect  the  school-house  and 
its  appendages,  but  they  should  also  be  taught  to 
regard  the  sacredness  of  all  property,  either  pub- 
lic or  private.  The  neighboring  garden  or  or- 
chard should  be  held  to  be  inviolable.  The 
teacher  may  not  have  the  authority  to  compel 
compliance  with  his  direction  or  advice  beyond 
school-hours ;  but  he  should  endeavor  to  exercise 
a  moral  influence  in  the  school  which  will  be 
more  powerful  even  than  compulsion.  So  in 
regard  to  public  buildings,  such  as  churches  and 
court-houses ;  and  all  public  grounds, — as  parks, 
commons,  and  cemeteries, — the  teacher  should 
inculcate  not  only  the  duty  to  abstain  from  in- 
juring them,  but  a  commendable  desire  to  see 
them  improved  and  beautified.    In  America,  it  is 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  365 

American  destructiveness. — General  reformation. — niustration. 

remarked  by  foreigners,  there  is  a  strange  ten- 
dency to  destructiveness.  In  our  public  buildings 
the  walls  are  usually  disfigured  by  names  and 
drawings ;  and  even  our  cemeteries  do  not  escape 
the  violence  of  the  knives  of  visitors,  the  trees 
being  cut  and  marked  with  names,  and  the 
flowers  plucked  off  and  carried  away.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  our  teachers  will  so  exercise  a  reform- 
ing influence,  that  the  next  generation  shall  ex- 
ercise a  higher  principle,  as  well  as  a  better  taste, 
in  all  these  matters,  which,  small  as  they  are, 
make  up  no  mean  part  of  the  manners  and  mor- 
als of  a  people. 

III.  When  scholars  do  wrong,  it  is  sometimes 
best  to  withhold  imm^ediate  reproof,  but  to  describe 
a  similar  case  in  general  instruction.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  effectual  modes  of  curing  the 
evil  in  the  wrong-doer  himself.  It,  moreover, 
gives  the  teacher  a  valuable  text  for  a  lesson  on 
morals  before  the  whole  school.  Care  should  gen- 
erally be  taken  not  to  lead  the  school  to  suspect 
the  individual  in  your  m.ind,  while  at  the  same 
time  the  parable  should  so  fit  the  case,  as  to  pre- 
clude the  necessity  of  saying  to  the  offender,  as 
Nathan  did  to  David :  "  Thou  art  the  man." 

A  case  will  illustrate  this.  I  recollect  once  to 
have  found,  among  a  large  number  of  composi- 
tions presented  by  a  class,  one  that  I  knew  to 
have  been  copied.  No  notice  was  taken  of  it  at 
the  time ;  but  some  days  afterward,  a  case  was 
described   to   the   class,  resembling  the   one   that 


366  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS, 

A  confession. — Accuracy. 

had  actually  occurred.  After  exciting  considera- 
ble interest  in  the  case,  they  were  told  that  such 
a  thing  had  happened  among  their  own  number : 
that  I  did  not  choose  to  expose  the  individual ; 
but,  if  any  of  them  thought  it  would  be  honor- 
able for  them  to  confess  such  an  offense  to  me 
in  case  they  had  committed  it,  they  might  seek 
a  private  opportunity  to  do  so.  In  less  than 
twenty-four  hours  no  less  than  four  made  such  a 
confession,  detailing  freely  the  extent  and  the 
circumstances  of  their  offending.  In  this  way 
four  were  reformed,  where  by  direct  reproof  only 
one  could  have  been  reached.  It  was  a  frank, 
not  a  forced  confession  ;  and  I  was  thus  easily 
made  to  know  the  extent  of  this  sin  in  the  school. 
By  this  simple  expedient,  I  have  reason  to  believe, 
plagiarism  was  effectually  eradicated,  for  that 
term  at  least,  in  the  whole  class,  and  that  too 
without  the  loss  of  any  pupil's  good-will. 

It  is  generally  wiser  to  endeavor  to  reach  the 
evil  in  its  whole  extent,  than  to  expend  one's 
strength  upon  a  single  instance  of  wrong-doing. 
The  conscience  of  the  whole  school  may  some- 
times be  profitably  aroused,  while  the  particular 
individual  is  quite  as  effectively  corrected  as  he 
would  be  by  a  direct  reproof. 

IV.  Be  accurate.  This  is  necessary  in  order  to 
secure  the  respect  of  your  pupils.  What  the 
teacher  professes  to  know  he  should  be  sure  of. 
Approximations  to  the  truth  are  not  enough  to 
satisfy   the   young    mind.     Whenever    a    teacher 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  367 

Certain  knowledge.— Prof.  Olmsted. 

makes  a  blunder  by  stating  what  is  not  true  in 
regard   to   any  fact   or   principle   in   science,  any 
event    in    history,  or   any  item    of    statistics,   he 
lowers   himself  very  much   in   the   estimation   of 
all  those  who  are  capable   of  detecting  his  error. 
If  he  does  not  know,  he  may  frankly  say  so,  and 
incur  no  just  censure,  provided  the  point  be  one 
about  which   he   has  not  had  the  opportunity  to 
gain    the    requisite    information.      But   when    he 
attempts  to  speak  with  the  authority  of  a  teacher, 
he  "should  know  that  whereof  he  affirms."     "The 
character  of  the  teacher,"  says  Professor  Olmsted, 
"is  sullied  by  frequent   mistakes,  like   that   of  a 
book-keeper   or   banker.     It   is   surprising   to  see 
how  soon  even  the  youngest  learner  will  lose  his 
confidence  and  respect  for  his  teacher,  when  he 
has    detected    in    him    occasional    mistakes.      At 
every  such  discovery  he  rises  in  his  own  estima- 
tion, and  the   teacher   proportionally  sinks.     The 
very  character  of  the  pupil  is  injured  by  such  an 
incident.    He  rapidly  loses  the  docility  and  mod- 
esty so  essential  to  the  scholar,  and  becomes  up- 
lifted with  pride  and  self-importance."    The  super- 
ciliousness thus  induced   in  the   pupils,  becomes 
a  sore   vexation   to  the  teacher.      He  finds  that 
his  pupils  are  watching  for  his  halting, — and  he 
frequently  fails,  from   this  very  circumstance,  to 
do  as  well  as  he  might.    I  know  of  no  more  piti- 
able  condition   on   earth  than  that  of  a  teacher, 
who   is   attempting  to   teach   what   he    does  not 
fuUy  understand,  while  he  is  conscious  that  his 


368  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

A  pleasant  countenance.— A  description. 

pupils  doubt  his  ability,  from  a  frequent  detec- 
tion of  his  mistakes. 

V.  Cultivate  a  pleasant  countenance.  Frowns 
and  scowls  always  sit  with  ill  grace  upon  the 
teacher's  brow.  I  know  that  the  trials  and  per- 
plexities incident  to  his  daily  life  are  eminently 
fitted  "to  chafe  his  mood"  and  to  provoke  his 
impatience.  I  know,  too,  that  protracted  confine- 
ment from  the  pure  air  and  the  bright  sunlight, 
will  almost  necessarily  render  the  nervous  system 
morbidly  sensitive,  and  the  temper  of  course  ex- 
tremely irritable.  The  outward  exponent  of  all 
this  is  a  dejected,  and  perhaps  an  angry,  counte- 
nance. The  eyebrows  are  drawn  up  so  that  the 
forehead  is  deeply  and  prematurely  furrowed, 
while  the  angles  of  the  mouth  are  suffered  to  drop 
downward,  as  if  in  token  of  utter  despair.  By 
and  by  the  roguishness  of  some  unlucky  urchin 
disturbs  the  current  of  his  thoughts, — and  sud- 
denly the  brow  is  firmly  knitted  with  transverse 
channels,  the  nostrils  are  distended,  the  jaws  are 
firmly  closed,  the  lips  are  compressed,  the  cheeks 
are  flushed,  and  the  eyes  almost  emit  sparks  from 
the  pent-up  fire  within  him.  For  the  next  half- 
hour  he  frowns  on  all  about  him.  The  children, 
at  first,  are  awed  by  such  a  threatening  aspect,— 
but  soon  they  become  accustomed  to  it,  and 
the  terrible  very  naturally  gives  place  to  the 
ridiculous. 

No  man  has  a  moral  right  to  render  those  un- 
comfortable   who    surround    him,    by    habitually 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  369 

Sympathy  between  the  heart  and  the  countenance. 

covering  his  face  with  the  looks  of  discontent  and 
nioroseness.  It  is  peculiarly  wrong  for  the  teacher 
to  do  it.  It  is  for  him  to  present  an  example  of 
self-government  under  all  circumstances,  so  that 
he  can  consistently  enforce  the  duty  of  self-con- 
trol upon  the  young.  It  is  for  him  to  show  him- 
self a  man  of  principle,  of  benevolence,  of  cheerful 
devotion  to  his  duty,  however  full  of  trials  that 
duty  may  be  ;  and  in  no  way  can  he  do  this  more 
effectually  than  by  an  amiable  and  engaging 
countenance.  A  peevish,  frowning  teacher  is  very 
likely  to  produce  petulance  and  suUenness  in  his 
pupils  ;  while  a  cordial  smile,  like  the  genial  beam 
of  the  spring-day  sun,  not  only  sheds  a  welcome 
light  on  all  around,  but  it  imparts  a  blessed  heat, 
which  penetrates  the  frigidity  of  the  heart,  dis- 
sipates the  cheerless  mists  that  hover  there, 
and  warms  the  generous  affections  into  life  and 
beauty. 

We  are  so  constituted  that  the  inward  and  the 
outward  sympathize  with  each  other.  Solomon 
says,  "a  merry  heart  maketh  a  cheerful  counte- 
nance,"— and  I  may  venture  to  add,  and  with 
almost  as  much  truth,  a  cheerful  countenance 
maketh  a  merry  heart.  An  honest  attempt  to 
bless  others  with  the  sight  of  a  countenance  that 
is  expressive  of  content  and  patience,  is  an  act 
so  praiseworthy  in  itself,  that  it  will  never  go 
unrewarded.  The  gratifying  response  which  such 
a  countenance  is  sure  to  call  forth  from  others, 
brings  with   it  a  rich  revenue  of  inward  enjoy- 


370  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

A  question.— Yes.— Carlyle.— Means  recommended. 


ment.  He,  therefore,  who  habitually  bears  about 
with  him.  a  sad  or  an  angry  countenance,  while 
he  constantly  impairs  the  happiness  of  others, 
lacks  at  the  same  time  an  important  instrumen- 
tality for  securing  his  own. 

But  the  question  will  arise, — can  a  man  gain 
such  ascendency  over  himself  as  to  control  the 
expression  of  his  countenance?  I  answer,  with- 
out hesitation,  yes.  ''  Whatever  ought  to  be  done, 
can  be  done."  It  is  not  perfectly  easy  to  do  it, 
especially  for  the  teacher.  Still,  self-control — full, 
complete  self-control — is  his  appropriate  duty  as 
well  as  privilege.  He  must,  as  Carlyle  quaintly 
enjoins,  "learn  to  devour  the  chagrins  of  his  lot." 
He  must  calculate  beforehand  that  every  day  will 
bring  its  cares  and  its  trials ;  but  he  should  daily 
resolve  that  they  shall  never  take  him  by  surprise, 
nor  betray  him  into  sudden  impatience.  Each 
morning,  as  he  walks  to  the  scene  of  his  labors, 
he  should  fortify  himself  against  sudden  anger  or 
habitual  moroseness  on  this  wise  :  "  No  doubt  this 
day  some  untoward  occurrence  will  transpire,  cal- 
culated to  try  my  patience  and  to  provoke  me  to 
fretful  words  and  angry  looks.  All  my  past  expe- 
rience leads  me  to  expect  this.  But  this  day  I 
will  try  to  resist  the  temptation  to  this  weakness. 
I  will  try  to  be  self-possessed.  If  any  child  is 
vicious,  or  fretful,  or  dull,  or  even  impudent,  I 
will  endeavor  to  show  that  I  can  command  my- 
self. If  I  feel  some  angry  passion  enkindling 
within  me,  I  will  stop  and  think,  and  I  will  en- 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  371 

I'll  try. — A  victory.— Art  of  illustrating,— illustrated. 

deavor  to  smile  before  I  speak.  If  I  can  to-day 
gain  the  victory  over  impatience,  and  can  main- 
tain an  even  and  cheerful  temper,  and  express  it 
constantly  in  my  countenance,  it  will  be  easier 
to  do  it  to-morrow.    At  all  events^  Til  try.^^ 

Taking  hold  thus  in  earnest,  any  man  may 
soon  be  his  own  master.  He  can  gain  the  vio 
tori).  If  he  can  do  it,  he  ought  to  do  it.  Hence 
I  urge  it  as  a  duty.  Nor  is  it  merely  a  duty. 
It  is  a  high  privilege.  A  complete  victory  for  a 
single  day  will  bring  its  own  reward.  A  man 
who  feels  that  he  has  risen  above  his  temptation, 
can  return  to  his  rest  with  a  light  and  happy 
heart.  Sleep  to  him  will  be  sweet,  and  he  will 
arise  on  the  morrow  with  renewed  strength  for 
the  fresh  conflict, — and  in  the  moral  as  well  as 
in  the  literal  warfare,  every  contest  which  ends 
in  victory  gives  additional  strength  to  the  victor, 
while  it  weakens  and  disheartens  his  enemy. 

VI.  Study  to  acquire  the  art  of  aptly  illustrat- 
ing a  difficult  subject.  Some  teachers  content 
themselves  with  answering  in  the  precise  lan- 
guage of  the  book,  whenever  a  question  for 
information  is  propounded.  This,  however,  is  by 
no  means  sufficient,  even  when  the  language  of 
the  book  is  strictly  accurate ;  much  less,  when 
the  language  is  so  vague  as  to  convey  no  definite 
idea  to  the  mind,  either  of  the  learner  or  the 
teacher.  On  the  other  hand,  a  man  who  is  apt 
to  teach,  will  devise  some  ingenious  method  of 
enlightening  the  mind   of  his   pupil,  so  that  he 


372  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Lesson  in  philosopliy.— Media. 

shall  lay  hold  of  the  idea  as  with  a  manly  grasp, 
and  make  it  his  own  forever. 

This  point  will,  perhaps,  be  best  illustrated  by 
an  example.  A  young  man  was  employed  to  take 
3harge  of  a  school  for  a  few  days  during  a  tem- 
porary illness  of  the  regular  instructor.  He  was  a 
good  scholar,  as  the  world  would  say,  and  was 
really  desirous  to  answer  the  expectation  of  his 
employers.  After  the  regular  teacher  had  so  far 
recovered  his  health  as  to  be  able  to  leave  his 
room,  he  walked  one  pleasant  day  to  the  school, 
to  see  what  success  attended  the  labors  of  the 
new  incumbent.  A  class  was  reciting  in  natural 
philosophy.  The  subject  under  consideration 
was — the  obstacles  which  impede  the  motion  of 
machinery.  The  attraction  of  gravity,  as  one  of 
these,  was  pretty  easily  disposed  of;  for  the 
class  had  before  been  instructed  on  that  point. 
Friction  came  next.  Here,  too,  the  pupils,  hav- 
ing had  some  practical  experience  of  their  own, 
in  dragging  their  sleds,  in  skating,  or  perhaps  in 
turning  a  grindstone,  found  no  great  difficulty. 
The  book  spoke  a  language  sufficiently  clear  to 
be  understood.  Next  came  the  "resistance  of 
the  various  media,"  to  use  the  language  of  the 
text-book.  "Yes,"  said  the  teacher,  as  one  of 
the  pupils  gravely  quoted  this  language,  "that 
has  no  inconsiderable  effect." 

"The  Resistance  of  the  various  media'?" — 
repeated  one  of  the  boys  inquiringly,  "I  do  not 
know  as  I  understand  what  media  means." 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  373 

A  puzzle.— Purtlier  doubts.— An  interposition. 

"A  medium  is  that  in  which  a  body  moves," 
was  the  ready  reply  which  the  teacher  read  from 
the  book. 

Pupil.   A  medium  ? 

Teacher.  Yes ;  we  say  medium  when  we 
mean  but  one,  and  m^edia  when  we  mean  mo^-e 
than  one. 

Pupil.   When  we  mean  but  one? 

Teacher.  Yes ;  medium  is  singular — media  is 
plural. 

After  this  discussion,  which  began  in  philoso- 
phy but  ended  in  grammar,  the  teacher  was 
about  to  proceed  to  the  next  question  of  the 
book.  But  the  scholar  was  not  yet  satisfied,  and 
he  ventured  to  press  his  inquiries  a  little  further. 

Pupil.   Is  this  room  a  medium? 

Teacher.   This  room? 

Pupil.  Yes,  sir ;  you  said  that  a  medium  was 
"that  in  which  anybody  moves,"  and  we  all 
move  in  this  room. 

Teacher.  Yes,  but  medium  does  not  mean  a 
room ;  it  is  the  substance  in  which  a  body 
moves. 

Here  the  lad  looked  perplexed  and  unsatisfied. 
He  had  no  clear  idea  of  the  meaning  of  this  new 
term.  The  teacher  looked  at  his  watch,  and  then 
glanced  at  the  remaining  pages  of  the  lesson, 
and  seemed  impatient  to  proceed, — so  the  pupil 
forbore  to  inquire  further. 

The  regular  teacher,  who  had  listened  to  the 
discussion  with  no  ordinary  interest,  both  because 


374  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGG-ESTIONS. 

A  smile.— Light  bresiks  in. 

he  admired  the  inquisitiveness  of  the  boy,  and 
because  he  was  curious  to  discover  how  far  the 
new  incumbent  possessed  the  power  of  illustra- 
tion, here  interposed. 

"John,"  —  taking  his  watch  in  his  hand — 
"would  this  watch  continue  to  go,  if  I  should 
drop  it  into  a  pail  of  water?" 

"  I  should  think  it  would  not  long,"  said  John, 
after  a  little  reflection. 

"  Why  not  ? "  said  his  teacher,  as  he  opened 
his  watch. 

"Because  the  water  would  get  around  the 
wheels  of  the  watch  and  stop  it,  I  should  think," 
said  John. 

"  How  would  it  be  if  I  should  drop  it  into  a 
quart  of  molasses?" 

The  boys  laughed. 

"Or  into  a  barrel  of  tar?" 

The  boys  still  smiled. 

"  Suppose  I  should  force  it,  while  open,  into  a 
quantity  of  lard." 

Here  the  boys  laughed  heartily,  while  John 
said,  "the  watch  would  not  go  in  any  of  these 
articles." 

^^  Articles  V  said  his  teacher,  "why  not  say 
media  7  " 

John's  eye  glistened  as  he  caught  the  idea. 
"O,  I  understand  it  now." 

His  teacher  then  said,  that  many  machines 
worked  in  air, — then  the  air  was  the  medium. 
A   fish   swims   in   water, — water    is    his  medium. 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  375 

The  class  proceed.— The  diflference.— Study  expedients. 

A  fish  could  hardly  swim  in  molasses  or  tar. 
'Now,"  inquired  he,  "why  not?" 

"Because  of  the  resistance  of  the  medium," 
said  John,  with  a  look  of  satisfaction. 

"Now  why  will  the  watch  go  in  air  and  not 
in  water  ?  " 

"  Because  the  water  is  more  dense,"  said  John 
promptly. 

"Then  upon  what  does  the  resistance  of  a 
medium  depend  ?  " 

Here  the  new  teacher  interposed,  and  said  that 
was  the  next  question  in  the  book,  and  he  was 
just  going  to  ask  it  himself.  The  regular  teacher 
put  his  watch  into  his  pocket  and  became  a 
spectator  again,  and  the  lesson  proceeded  with 
unwonted  vivacity.  The  difference  between  these 
two  teachers  mainly  consisted  in  the  fact,  that 
one  had  the  ingenuity  to  devise  an  expedient  to 
meet  a  difficulty  whenever  occasion  required, — 
the  other  had  not. 

Now  in  order  to  teach  well,  a  man  should 
diligently  seek  for  expedients.  He  should  en- 
deavor to  foresee  the  very  points  where  the 
learner  will  stumble,  and  provide  himself  with 
the  means  of  rendering  timely  aid.  If  an  object 
can  not  be  described  in  words,  let  it  be  compared 
with  what  it  resembles,  or  with  what  it  contrasts. 
If  it  be  an  object  of  sense,  and  words  and  com- 
parisons fail  to  describe  it, — in  the  absence  of 
apparatus  to  represent  it,  let  the  teacher  spring 
to  the  blackboard  and  execute  a  hasty  drawing 


376  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

A  moral  impression.— Set  lessons  not  useful.— The  fit  occasion. 

of  it.  In  this  way  the  construction  or  the  work- 
ing of  a  machine,  the  form  of  a  bone  or  the 
action  of  a  joint,  the  shape  of  a  town  or  the 
plan  of  a  building, — in  short,  almost  every  sub- 
ject that  involves  the  relation  of  form,  size,  pro- 
portion, quantity,  or  number,  will  admit  of  visible 
illustration.  He,  then,  is  the  successful  teacher 
who  is  able  at  the  moment  to  seize  upon  the 
best  expedient,  and  render  it  subservient  to  his 
purpose. 

VII.  Take  advantage  of  unusual  occurrences 
to  make  a  moral  or  religious  impression.  In  a 
former  chapter  I  have  urged  it  as  a  part  of  the 
teacher's  work,  to  cultivate  and  strengthen  both 
the  moral  sentiments  and  the  religious  feelings 
of  the  members  of  his  school.  This  is  not  most 
effectually  done  by  a  formal  mode  of  speaking 
to  them  on  these  subjects.  If  a  particular  hour 
is  set  apart  for  formal  lectures  on  their  duty  to 
their  fellow-men  and  their  obligations  to  God, 
they  are  very  apt  to  fortify  their  sensibilities 
against  the  most  faithful  appeals,  and  thus  ren- 
der them  powerless.  The  wise  teacher  will  watch 
for  the  fit  opportunity,  and,  just  at  the  moment 
when  the  heart  is  prepared  by  some  suitable 
occurrence, — when  by  some  exhibition  of  the 
Creator's  power  it  is  awed  into  reverence,  or 
softened  into  submission  ;  or  by  some  display  of 
his  goodness  it  is  warmed  into  gratitude,  or  ani- 
mated with  delight, — with  a  few  words,  season- 
ably and  "fitly  spoken,"  he  fixes  the   impression 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  377 

Example  I.— A  thunder-storm. 

forever.  Speaking  at  the  right  time,  every  ear 
listens,  and  every  heart  feels. 

Perhaps  many  of  my  readers  can  revert  to 
some  season  in  their  childhood,  endeared  to  them 
by  a  precious  recollection  of  golden  words  thus 
opportunely  uttered, — words  fraught  with  truth 
which  in  after-life  has  had  an  unspeakable  influ- 
ence in  the  formation  of  their  character.  One 
or  two  examples  connected  with  my  own  expe- 
rience may  be  presented,  more  fully  to  illus- 
trate my  meaning ;  while  at  the  same  time  they 
may  afford,  it  is  hoped,  some  valuable  hints  for 
the  encouragement  and  guidance  of  such  young 
teachers,  as  desire  in  this  way  to  make  them- 
selves the  instruments  of  lasting  benefit  to  the 
young. 

Example  I.  I  can  never  forget — nor  would  I 
if  I  could — a  lesson  impressed  upon  my  own 
youthful  mind,  conveying  the  truth  that  we  are 
constantly  dependent  upon  our  Heavenly  Father 
for  protection.  In  a  plain  country  school-house, 
some  twenty-five  children,  including  myself,  were 
assembled  with  our  teacher  on  the  afternoon  of 
a  summer's  day.  We  had  been  as  happy  and  as 
thoughtless  as  the  sportive  lambs  that  cropped 
the  clover  of  the  neighboring  hill-side.  Engrossed 
with  study  or  play, — for  at  this  distance  of  time 
it  is  impossible  to  tell  which, — we  had  not  noticed 
the  low  rumbling  of  the  distant  thunder,  till  a 
sudden  flash  of  lightning  arrested  our  attention. 
Immediately  the    sun  was   veiled  by  the    cloud, 


878  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Confiision.—AlaoTii.— Teacher's  self-possession. 

and  a  corresponding  gloom  settled  upon  every 
face  within.  The  elder  girls,  with  the  charac- 
teristic thoughtfulness  of  woman,  hastily  inquired 
whether  they  should  not  make  the  attempt  to 
lead  their  younger  brothers  and  sisters  to  the 
paternal  roof  before  the  bursting  of  the  storm. 
For  a  moment  our  little  community  was  thrown 
into  utter  confusion.  The  teacher  stepped  hastily 
to  the  door,  to  survey  more  perfectly  the  aspect 
of  the  western  heavens.  Immediately  returning, 
he  signified  to  the  children  that  there  would  not 
be  time  for  them  to  reach  their  homes  before  the 
tempest  would  be  upon  them.  Oppressed  with 
dread, — for  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  children 
in  the  country  to  be  terrified  by  lightning, — some 
of  the  youngest  of  us  clung  to  our  older  brothers 
or  sisters,  while  others,  being  the  sole  represent- 
atives of  their  family  in  the  school,  for  the  first 
time  felt  their  utter  loneliness  in  the  midst  of 
strangers,  and  gave  utterance  to  their  feelings  in 
audible  sighs  or  unequivocal  sobs. 

The  teacher,  meanwhile,  with  an  exemplary 
calmness  and  self-possession,  closed  the  windows 
and  the  doors,  and  then  seated  himself  quite  near 
the  younger  pupils,  to  await  the  result.  The  thick 
darkness  gathered  about  us,  as  if  to  make  the 
glare  of  the  lightning,  by  contrast,  more  startling 
to  our  vision ;  while  the  loud  thunder  almost  in- 
stantly followed,  as  it  were  the  voice  of  Grod. 
The  wind  howled  through  the  branches  of  a  ven- 
erable tree  near  by,  bending  its  sturdy  trunk,  and 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  379 

A  fearful  tempest.— Awful  pause.— Teacher's  words. 

threatening  to  break  asunder  the  cords  which 
bound  it  to  its  mother  earth.  An  angry  gust 
.assailed  the  humble  building  where  we  were  shel- 
tered ;  it  roared  down  the  capacious  chimney, 
violently  closed  a  shutter  that  lacked  a  fastening, 
breaking  the  glass  by  its  concussion,  and  almost 
forced  in  the  frail  window-sashes  on  the  westerly 
side  of  the  room.  Quicker  and  more  wild  the 
lightnings  glared — flash  after  flash  —  as  if  the 
heavens  were  on  fire ;  louder  and  nearer  the 
thunder  broke  above  our  heads,  while  the  in- 
mates of  the  room,  save  the  teacher,  were  pale 
with  terror. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  sudden  cessation 
of  the  war  of  elements, — a  hush — almost  a  pro- 
phetic pause  !  It  was  that  brief  interval  which 
precedes  the  falling  torrent.  A  dread  stillness 
reigned  within  the  room.  Every  heart  beat  hur- 
riedly, and  every  countenance  told  the  consterna- 
tion that  was  reigning  within.  It  was  an  awful 
moment ! 

With  a  calm  voice,  breathing  a  subdued  and 
confiding  spirit,  the  teacher  improved  this  oppor- 
tunity to  impress  upon  our  young  minds  a  great 
truth.  "Fear  not,  children,"  said  he,  "it  is  your 
Heavenly  Father  that  sends  the  storm  as  well  as 
the  sunshine  and  the  gentle  breeze.  You  have 
been  just  as  much  in  his  power  all  day,  as  you 
are  at  this  moment.  He  has  been  as  near  you, 
supporting  you,  supplying  you  with  breath,  with 
life,  all  through  the  pleasant  morning ;   but  then 


380  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Rain.— Sunshine.— Bright  faces. 


you  did  not  see  him.  He  is  just  as  able  to  pro- 
tect you  now,  for  'not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the 
ground  without  his  notice,' — and  he  ruleth  the 
storm  and  'rideth  upon  the  Avings  of  the  wind.' 
We  should  ever  feel  willing  to  trust  him ;  for 
he  is  ever  able  to  grant  us  deliverance  from  all 
dangers  which  threaten  us.  God  is  here  now  to 
protect  us." 

Just  as  he  had  finished  these  words  the  rain 
began  to  fall.  First  the  drops  were  few  and  scat- 
tered ;  but  soon  the  windows  of  heaven  were 
opened,  and  the  thirsty  ground  was  abundantly 
satisfied.  The  sound  of  the  thunder  became 
fainter  and  fainter  as  the  cloud  passed  away ;  the 
sun  burst  out  again  in  renewed  splendor;  the 
full  drops  glittered  in  his  beams  upon  the  grass; 
the  birds  began  their  songs ;  the  rainbow  spanned 
the  eastern  hills ;  and  our  hearts,  taught  by  the 
timely  instructions  of  a  good  man,  began  to  ex- 
pand with  eager  gratitude  for  our  preservation  by 
the  hand  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 

The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  passed  happily 
away ;  and  when  our  books  were  laid  aside,  and 
we  were  ready  to  burst  out  of  the  room  to  enjoy 
the  refreshing  air  and  participate  in  the  general 
joy,  the  teacher,  taking  the  Bible  from  the  desk, 
asked  us  to  remain  quiet  a  moment,  while  he 
would  read  a  few  words  that  he  hoped  we  should 
never  forget. 

The  passage  was  the  following,  from  the  65  th 
Psalm  : — 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  381 

The  Bible  speaks.— "Words  fitly  spoken.— Tlie  effect. 

By  terrible  things  in  righteousness  wilt  thou  answer  us,  O  God  of 
our  salvation ;  who  art  the  confidence  of  all  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
and  of  them  that  are  afar  off  upon  the  sea.  Which  by  his  strength 
setteth  fast  the  mountains ;  being  girded  with  power :  which  stilleth 
the  noise  of  the  seas,  the  noise  of  their  waves,  and  the  tumult  of  the 
people. 

They  also  that  dwell  in  the  uttermost  parts  are  afraid  at  thy 
tokens :  thou  makest  the  outgoings  of  the  morning  and  evening  to 
rejoice. 

Thou  visitest  the  earth  and  waterest  it:  thou  greatly  enrichest 
it  with  the  river  of  God,  which  is  full  of  water :  thou  preparest  them 
corn,  when  thou  hast  so  provided  for  it. 

Thou  waterest  the  ridges  thereof  abundantly:  thou  settlest  the 
furrows  thereof :  thou  makest  it  soft  with  showers :  thou  blessest  the 
springing  thereof. 

Thou  crownest  the  year  with  thy  goodness ;  and  thy  paths  drop 
fatness.  They  drop  upon  the  pastures  of  the  wilderness :  and  the  little 
hills  rejoice  on  every  side. 

The  pastures  are  clothed  with  flocks ;  the  valleys  also  are  covered 
over  with  corn ;  they  shout  for  joy,  they  also  sing. 


After  closing  the  book,  the  teacher  said,  "Go 
out  now,  children,  and  witness  how  perfectly 
these  words  have  been  fulfilled  toward  us  this 
afternoon, — and  from  this  day's  mercies,  learn 
hereafter  to  trust  God  as  confidently  in  the 
storm,  when  he  displays  his  power  by  his  out- 
ward 'tokens,'  as  when  he  kindly  smiles  upon 
you  in  the  beams  of  the  glorious  sun,  or  gently 
breathes  upon  you  in  the  morning  breeze." 

We  went  forth  bounding  in  gladness  and 
gratitude,  and  saw  the  "outgoings  of  the  evening 
to  rejoice," — "the  pastures  clothed  with  flocks," 
— "the  valleys  covered  over  with  corn," — "the 
little  hills  rejoicing  on  every  side "  ; — ^we  heard 
also  the  general  shout  for  joy, — and  we  felt  as 
we  never  before  had  felt,  a  deep,  thorough, 
abiding    conviction    of    the    truth    that    God    is 


382  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Blessed  memories.— Example  U.— A  dark  day. 

our  father  and  our  friend ;   the  Q-od  of  our  sal- 
vation. 

I  know  not  how  soon  these  impressions  faded 
from  the  minds  of  the  other  children, — ^but  for 
myself  I  can  say,  that  from  that  time  to  the 
present,  whenever  I  have  been  exposed  to  ap- 
parent danger  from  the  impending  tempest,  the 
warring  elements,  or  the  ravages  of  disease,  the 
teachings  of  that  hour  have  always  revived  in 
my  mind  to  soothe  my  troubled  spirit,  and  to 
re-assure  my  faith  and  confidence  in  the  presence 
of  an  all-sufficient  and  merciful  Preserver.  A 
thousand  times  have  I  devoutl}^  blessed  the 
memory  of  that  faithful  teacher,  for  having  so 
early  and  so  happily  turned  my  thoughts  upward 
to  Him,  in  whom  "we  live,  and  move,  and  have 
our  being." 

Example  II.  It  was  in  the  afternoon  of  a 
gloomy  day  in  the  latter  part  of  ISTovember,  when 
the  pupils,  consisting  of  some  fifty  boys,  belong- 
ing to  a  school  in  a  pleasant  sea-port  town  in 
New  England,  were  told  by  their  teacher,  a  few 
minutes  before  the  usual  hour,  that  they  might 
lay  aside  their  studies,  and  prepare  for  dismis- 
sion. During  the  early  part  of  the  day  there 
had  been  one  of  those  violent  south-east  rain 
storms,  so  common  upon  the  sea-coast  at  that 
season  of  the  year.  It  is  well  known  to  the 
observing  mariner,  that  a  storm  from  the  south- 
east  never   continues  bevond    twelve   or    fifteen 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  383 

liTiU  of  the  storm. — Change  of  wind.— Early  dismission. 

hours ;  and  when  the  "V'iolence  of  the  storm 
abates,  it  is  a  common  remark  of  the  sailor,  that 
"the  north-wester  is  not  long  in  debt  to  the 
south-easter."  Previous  to  this  change  of  wind, 
however,  there  is  what  is  expressively  termed 
the  "  lull  of  the  storm," — a  period  when  the  rain 
ceases  to  fall,  the  wind  dies  away  to  a  perfect 
calm,  the  barometer  is  suddenly  depressed,  the 
clouds  hover  almost  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
shutting  out  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  causing  a 
cheerless  damp  to  settle  upon  every  thing  ter- 
restrial, and  a  dreary  gloom  to  enshroud  the 
mind  itself.  When  the  wind  changes,  these  clouds 
are  not  gradually  dissolved  and  broken  up,  so 
that  the  eye  can  catch  transient  glimpses  of  the 
blue  sk}^  beyond,  as  after  a  snow-storm  in  winter  ; 
but  the  dark  drapery  is  suddenly  lifted  up,  as  if 
by  an  unseen  hand,  and  the  western  sky,  from 
the  horizon  upward,  is  left  more  bright  and 
more  charming  than  ever,  to  refresh  the  eye  and 
reanimate  the  soul. 

It  was  such  a  daj^,  as  before  remarked,  when 
the  pupils  of  this  school — partly  because  of  the 
darkness  in  the  school-room,  and  partly  because 
of  their  protracted  confinement  within  a  close 
apartment  during  a  gloomy  afternoon — were,  a 
little  earlier  than  usual,  about  to  be  dismissed. 
The  pupils  all  seemed  to  welcome  the  happy 
release  '  that  awaited  them, — and  in  their  eager- 
ness to  escape  from  confinement,  they  very  natu- 
rally neglected  to  observe  their  accustomed  regard 


884  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 

Impatience.— Light  breaks  in.— The  "garment  of  praise."- Song. 


for  quiet  and  order  in  laying  aside  their  books. 
It  was,  however,  a  fixed  habit  with  the  teacher, 
never  to  give  the  signal  for  leaving  the  room 
till  all  the  pupils  had  taken  the  proper  attitude  for 
passing  out  with  regularity,  and  then  had  com- 
posed themselves  to  perfect  silence.  On  this  occa- 
sion, perhaps  two  minutes  passed  away  while  the 
boys  were  gradually,  almost  impatiently,  bringing 
themselves  to  a  compliance  with  this  rule  of  the 
teacher. 

During  this  interval  of  waiting,  the  cloud, 
unperceived  by  the  teacher,  had  been  slowly 
raised  up  from  the  western  horizon,  just  in  time 
to  allow  the  setting  sun  to  bestow  a  farewell 
glance  upon  the  sorrowing  world  at  his  leave- 
taking.  Through  the  Venetian  blinds  that 
guarded  the  windows  toward  the  west,  the  celes- 
tial light  gleamed  athwart  the  apartment,  and 
painted  the  opposite  wall,  in  front  of  the  pupils, 
with  streaks  of  burnished  gold !  In  an  instant 
every  countenance  was  changed.  A  smile  now 
joyously  played,  where  before  sadness  and  dis- 
content had  held  their  moody  reign.  The  teacher 
was  reminded,  by  all  these  circumstances,  of  the 
beautiful  language  of  the  prophet,  which  promised 
the  gift  of  "the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit 
of  heaviness^  What  could  be  more  appropriate 
on  this  occasion  than  a  song  of  praise  ?  With- 
out speaking  a  single  word,  the  teacher  com- 
menced one  of  the  little  songs  already  familiar 
to  the  whole  school : — 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  385 

Singing  witli  the  spirit.— An  impression. — God  is  good. 

lio,  tlie  heavens  are  "breaking, 

Pure  and  bright  above; 
Xiife  and  light  awaking, 

Murmtir — God  is  love. 

QOD  IS  LOVE. 

Round  yon  pine-clad  mountain, 

Hows  a  golden  flood; 
Hear  the  sparkling  fountain 

Whisper— Goci  is  good. 

God  is  good. 

Wake,  my  heart,  and  springing. 

Spread  thy  wings  above,— 
Soaring  still  and  singing, 

God  is  ever  good. 

God  13  GOOD. 

Instantly  every  voice  that  had  ever  sung,  now 
uttered  heartfelt  praise.  The  attendant  circum- 
stances, taken  at  the  happy  moment,  furnished 
such  an  impressive  commentary  upon  the  import 
of  the  words,  that  they  were  felt,  as  they  never 
before  had  been  felt,  to  be  the  words  of  precious 
truth.  Every  heart  throbbed  in  unison  with  the 
sentiment.  At  the  close  of  the  song,  there  was 
profound  silence  in  the  room.  After  a  moment's 
pause,  during  which  the  truth  that  God  is  good 
seemed  to  pervade  each  mind  and  hold  it  in 
silent  reverence, — the  signal  for  departure  was 
given.  One  after  another  the  boys  passed  from 
their  seats  with  a  light  and  careful  step,  as  if 
noise  and  haste  would  be  a  desecration  both  of 
the  time  and  place,— and  when  they  reached  the 
open  air,  refreshing  and  exhilarating  as  it  was, 
there  was  no  boisterous  shout,  no  rude  mirth ; 
each  took  his  homeward  course,  apparently  with 
a  new  and  lively  conviction  that  Q-od  is  good. 


886  MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS. 


Other  occasions. 


It  has  always  been  a  source  of  pleasure  to 
that  teacher  to  recall  from  the  "  buried  past "  the 
associations  connected  with  that  delightful  hour 
and  that  charming  song ;  and  it  has  been  among 
the  most  gratifying  incidents  of  his  experience 
as  a  teacher,  to  hear  more  than  one  of  those 
pupils  in  later  life  recur  to  the  memory  of  that 
day,  and  acknowledge  with  thankfulness  the  last- 
ing impressions  which  then  and  there  were  made 
upon  their  minds. 


It  would  be  easy  to  furnish  examples  to  al- 
most any  extent,  of  the  manner  in  which  this 
principle  has  been,  or  may  be  carried  out  in 
practice.  The  degradation  of  an  intoxicated  per- 
son who  may  pass  the  school, — the  pitiable  con- 
dition of  the  man  who  may  wander  through  the 
streets  bereft  of  his  reason, — any  instance  of 
sudden  death  in  the  neighborhood,  particularly 
of  a  young  person, — the  passing  of  a  funeral  pro- 
cession,— in  short,  any  occurrence  that  arrests  the 
attention  of  the  young  and  enlists  their  feeling, 
may  be  seized  upon  as  the  means  of  making 
upon  their  minds  an  impression  for  good.  The 
facts  developed  in  many  of  their  lessons,  too, 
afford  opportunities  for  incidental  moral  instruc- 
tion. The  adaptation  of  means  to  ends, — the 
evidence  of  design  and  intelligence  displayed  in 
the  works  of  creation, — the  existence  of  constant 
and  uniform  laws  as  developed  in  the  sciences, 


MISCELLANEOUS     SUGGESTIONS.  387 

Teacher's  satisfaction.— Pleasant  retrospection. 

all  furnish  the  means  of  leading  the  young  mind 
to  God. 

That  teacher  will  enjoy  the  richest  satisfaction 
in  the  evening  of  life,  who,  in  looking  back  upon 
his  past  experience,  shall  be  conscious  that  he 
has  improved  every  opportunity  which  God  has 
given  him,  to  turn  the  youthful  affections  away 
from  the  things  of  earth  to  seek  a  worthier  ob- 
ject in  things  above. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

IT  is  proverbial  that  the  pecuniary  compensa- 
tion of  the  teacher  is,  in  most  places,  far 
below  the  proper  standard.  It  is  very  much  to 
be  regretted  that  an  employment  so  important  in 
all  its  bearings,  should  be  so  poorly  rewarded.  In 
New  England  there  are  many  young  women  who, 
having  spent  some  time  in  teaching,  have  left 
that  occupation  to  go  into  the  large  manufact- 
uring establishments  as  laborers,  simply  because 
they  could  receive  a  higher  compensation.  I 
have  known  several  instances  in  which  young 
ladies,  in  humble  circumstances,  have  left  teach- 
ing to  become  domestics,  thus  performing  the 
most  ordinary  manual  labor,  because  they  could 
receive  better  pay ;  that  is,  the  farmers  and  me- 
chanics of  the  district  could  afford  to  pay  more 
liberally  for  washing  and  ironing,  for  making 
butter  and  cheese,  for  sweeping  floors  and  clean- 
ing paint,  than  they  could  for  educating  the  im- 
mortal minds  of  their  children ! 

Nor  is  this  confined  to  the  female  sex.  Young 
mechanics  and  farmers,  as  well  as  those  employed 
in  manufacturing,  frequently  receive  higher  wages 
than  the  common-school  teacher  in  the  same  dis- 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.      389 
Driving  pegs.— Injustice.— Extra  expense. 

trict.  Many  a  young  man  who  has  only  genius 
enough  to  drive  the  pegs  of  a  shoe  in  a  regular 
row,  and  skill  enough  to  black  the  surface  of  the 
article  when  it  is  completed,  having  spent  but  a 
few  weeks  in  learning  his  trade,  receives  more 
money  for  his  work  than  he  who,  after  having 
spent  months,  or  even  years,  in  gaining  the  requi- 
site qualifications,  labors  to  polish  that  nobler 
material,  the  human  soul. 

The  injustice  of  this  becomes  more  apparent 
when  we  bear  in  mind  that  public  opinion  de- 
mands, and  justly  too,  that  the  teacher  should 
be  not  only  gentlemanly  in  his  manners,  but 
better  clad  than  the  mere  laborer, — thus  throwing 
upon  him  a  greater  burden  without  affording  him 
the  means  of  sustaining  it.  The  female  teacher 
of  a  district  school,  in  order  to  be  respectable, 
must  be  much  more  expensively  dressed  than  the 
domestic  in  the  family  where  she  boards,  and  is 
thus  compelled  to  consume  most  of  her  receipts 
upon  her  wardrobe, — while  the  domestic  is  able 
to  place  surplus  money  at  interest  in  the  Savings 
Bank.  This  injustice  has  so  often  been  laid  be- 
fore the  people,  and  yet  has  been  so  long  con- 
tinued, that  many  have  given  up  in  despair,  and 
abandoned  an  employment  that  has  yielded  so 
little,  choosing  rather  to  engage  in  that  lower 
service  which  is  so  much  better  paid. 

This  sufficiently  explains  why  so  many  un- 
qualified teachers  have  been  found  in  our  com- 
mon schools.     Men  of   talents   and   ability  being 


390      THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

Living  by  wits.— Improvement. — Means  of  mental  growth. 

tempted  to  other  employments,  have  left  the  field 
unoccupied ;  and  those  men  who  have  failed  to 
gain  a  comfortable  living  by  their  hands,  have 
been  allowed  to  try  the  experiment  of  support- 
ing life  hy  their  wits, — that  is,  by  becoming 
teachers ! 

Such  has  been  the  case  for  a  long  time  past ; 
and,  though  in  many  quarters  the  people  are  be- 
ginning to  open  their  eyes  to  their  true  interest, 
and  are  gradually  and  commendably  coming  up 
to  their  duty,  yet,  for  some  time  to  come,  the 
pecuniary  compensation  will  not  constitute  the 
chief  reward  of  the  teacher.  If  he  will  go  cheer- 
fully to  his  work,  and  find  his  daily  enjoyment 
in  his  daily  toil,  he  must  have  a  higher  object, 
some  more  elevating,  inspiring  motive,  than  mere 
money-getting.  The  chief  encouragements  of  the 
faithful  teacher  lie  in  another  direction. 

It  is  the  object  of  the  following  paragraphs 
to  point  out  some  of  these  encouragements ;  for, 
having  in  the  preceding  pages  required  very 
much  at  his  hands,  I  feel  that  it  is  but  just  that 
he  should  be  invited  to  look  at  the  brighter  side 
of  the  picture,  so  that  when  he  is  ready  to  sink 
under  the  responsibilities  of  his  position,  or  to 
yield  to  the  obstacles  that  oppose  his  progress,  he 
may  have  something  to  animate  his  soul,  and  to 
nerve  him  anew  for  the  noble  conflict. 

I.  The  teacher^s  employment  affords  the  means 
of  intellectual  growth.  If  a  man  teaches  as  he 
should  teach,  he  must  of  necessity  improve  him- 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER,      391 
Means  of  moral  growth.— Illustrated. 

selfo  Teaching,  understandingly  pursued,  gives 
accuracy.  I  know  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be 
a  mere  school-master — a  pedagogue^  without  any 
self-improvement.  But  I  am  speaking  of  the 
faithful,  devoted  teacher, — the  man  who  studies, 
reflects,  invents.  Such  a  man  learns  more  than 
his  pupils.  Every  time  he  takes  a  class  through 
any  branch  of  study,  he  does  it  more  skillfully, 
more  thoroughly  than  before.  He  brings  some 
fresh  illustration  of  it,  presents  some  new  view  of 
it,  and  hence  takes  a  lively  interest  in  it  himself, 
and  awakens  a  new  zeal  among  his  pupils.  Meas- 
uring himself  by  his  new  success,  he  feels  a  con- 
sciousness of  growth,  of  progress.  This  conscious- 
ness is  a  precious  reward. 

II.  The  teacher's  employment  affords  the 
means  of  "moral  growth.  Brought  constantly  in 
contact  with  those  who  need  a  careful  guidance, 
he  feels  impelled  to  earnest  effort  in  order  to 
obtain  the  mastery  over  himself,  as  the  best 
means  of  gaining  complete  influence  over  others. 
Studying  the  weak  points  in  their  character,  he 
is  constantly  reminded  of  those  in  his  own ;  and 
self-knowledge  is  the  first  step  toward  self-im- 
provement. Beginning  in  the  feebleness  of  inex- 
perience, he  bolsters  up  his  authority  at  first  by 
a  frequent  resort  to  force ;  but,  as  he  goes  on,  he 
finds  himself  gradually  gaining  such  ascendency 
over  the  vicious  as  to  control  them  quite  as 
effectually  by  milder  means.  At  first,  easily 
excited  to  anger  or  impatience,  he  frequently  in- 


392      THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Moral  power.— Progress  in  the  art  of  teaching. 

dulged  in  severe  language  when  it  was  unneces- 
sary,— ^but,  by  careful  discipline,  he  has  learned 
to  "  set  a  watch  before  his  mouth,  and  to  keep 
the  door  of  his  lips."  Encouraged  by  one  victory 
over  himself,  he  is  prepared  for  another.  Hav- 
ing learned  by  self-discipline  to  control  his  out- 
ward acts,  he  next  attempts  the  mastery  of  his 
thoughts.  He  soon  finds  that  his  moral  power 
over  others  is  very  much  increased.  Somehow — 
though  perhaps  he  can  not  yet  tell  the  reason 
why — he  finds  he  can  secure  obedience  with  half 
the  effort  formerly  required, — he  gains  the  love 
of  his  pupils  more  readily, — and,  with  the  excep- 
tion, now  and  then,  of  an  extreme  case,  he  finds 
that  he  excites  a  deeper  interest  than  ever  before 
in  the  whole  round  of  duty  among  the  scholars. 
Why  is  this?  he  asks, — and  the  consciousness  of 
increased  moral  power  rising  up  within  him,  is 
a  source  of  the  highest  satisfaction.  Pecuniary 
emolument  sinks  into  nothing  considered  as  a 
reward,  when  compared  with  a  conscious  victory 
over  himself. 

HI.  A  consciousness  of  improvement  in  the  art 
of  teaching  is  another  reward.  Such  improve- 
ment will  follow  as  a  matter  of  course  from  his 
self-improvement  in  the  particulars  just  named. 
As  his  own  mind  expands,  he  feels  a  new  im- 
pulse to  exert  himself  to  interest  others  in  the 
subjects  he  teaches.  He  soon  comes  to  look  upon 
the  work  of  instruction,  not  as  a  mere  mechan- 
ical business,  to  be  done  in  a  formal  way,  but  as 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.       393 
Pupils'  growth  of  mind.— Immediate  resTilts. 

a  noble  art,  based  upon  certain  great  principles 
that  are  capable  of  being  understood  and  applied. 
He  employs  all  his  ingenuity  to  discover  the  nat- 
ural order  of  presenting  truth  to  the  mind, — to 
ascertain  the  precise  degree  of  aid  the  learner 
needs,  and  the  point  where  the  teacher  should 
stop.  He  studies  carefully  the  proper  motives  to 
be  presented  as  incentives  to  exertion.  Inter- 
ested in  his  labor  as  a  great  work,  looking  upon 
his  influence  as  telling  upon  all  future  time,  he 
devotes  himself  daily  with  new  zeal,  and  is  rc-^ 
warded  with  the  consciousness  of  new  success. 

IV.  The  teacher  is  permitted  also  to  witness 
the  constant  groiuth  of  mind  among  his  pupils. 
I  say  constant,  because  the  teacher  is  not  obliged 
to  labor  without  seeing  immediate  results.  The 
minister  of  religion  may  sometimes  sow  the  seed 
of  the  good  word,  while  the  fruit  does  not  ap- 
pear for  a  long  season.  Sometimes  a  spiritual 
apathy  prevails,  so  that  the  most  faithful  warn- 
ings, and  the  most  earnest  appeals,  seem  to  fall 
powerless  upon  the  conscience ;  and  he  is  led 
almost  to  despair  of  ever  being  able  to  break 
the  deathlike  slumber.  It  is  not  thus  with  the 
teacher.  His  labor  tells  immediately  upon  the 
young  mind.  Even  luhile  he  is  yet  speaking,  he 
is  gratified  with  observing  the  soul's  expansion, 
as  it  grasps  and  assimilates  some  new  idea  which 
he  presents.  From  day  to  day,  as  he  meets  his 
classes,  he  sees  how  they  go  on  from  strength  to 
strength, — at  first,   indeed,  with  the  halting,  tot- 


394       THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER, 

"  They  were  my  pupils."— Useful  calling. 


tering  step  of  the  feeble  babe,  but  soon  with  the 
firm  and  confident  tread  of  the  vigorous  youth. 

A  teacher  who  is  for  several  years  employed 
in  his  vocation,  is  often  astonished  at  the  rapidity 
with  which  the  young,  who  come  to  him  as 
mere  children,  grow  into  men  and  women,  and 
take  their  places  on  the  stage  of  life  as  promi- 
nent actors.  Some  of  them  distinguish  them- 
selves in  the  arts ;  some  become  noted  for  their 
attainments  in  science  ;  some  receive  the  honors 
of  office  and  become  leaders  in  civil  affairs ;  some 
gain  eminence  as  professional  men ;  and  very 
likely  a  large  portion  of  them  are  engaged  in 
the  various  departments  of  honorable  industry. 
Wherever  they  are,  and  whatever  they  are,  they 
are  now  exerting  a  powerful  influence  in  the 
community.  They  have  grown  up  under  his  eye, 
and  have  been  essentially  shaped  by  his  plastic 
hand.  He  looks  upon  them  almost  with  the  in- 
terest and  pride  of  a  father.  He  counts  them  as 
his  jewels ;  and  when  he  hears  of  their  success, 
their  usefulness,  and  their  honors,  his  heart  leaps 
within  him,  as  he  thinks,  "they  tvere  my  pupils^ 
Even  though  he  may  have  wasted  the  strength 
of  his  best  days  in  the  service,  what  a  reward  is 
this  for  the  teacher! 

V.  The  teacher  has  the  consciousness  of  being 
engaged  in  a  useful  and  honorable  calling. 
What  though  he  may  not  become  rich  in  this 
world's  goods?  Who  would  not  prefer  above 
houses  and  lands, — infinitely  above  all  the  wealth 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.      395 
Professor  Agnew.— Educates  the  mind.— Trains  the  affections. 

of  earth,  the  consciousness  of  being  engaged  in 
a  work  of  usefulness?  Man  was  made  for  use- 
fuhiess, — and  who  would  not  desire  to  answer 
the  design  of  his  creation  ? 

My  pen  is  too  feeble  to  attempt  to  portray 
the  usefulness  of  the  faithful  teacher.  He  edu- 
cates the  immortal  m,ind, — wakes  it  to  thought, — 
trains  it  to  discipline — self-discipline, — moves  it  to 
truth  and  virtue, — fills  it  with  longings  for  a 
more  perfect  state,  and  sends  it  forth  to  exert 
its  power  for  good  through  all  coming  time ! 
"  To  this  end,"  in  the  glowing  language  of  Pro- 
fessor Agnew,  "he  communicates  a  knowledge 
of  letters,  opens  out  gradually  before  the  child 
the  book  of  nature  and  the  literature  of  the 
world ;  he  disciplines  his  mind  and  teaches  him 
how  to  gather  knowledge  from  every  source ; 
he  endeavors  to  impart  quickness  and  retentive- 
ness  of  memory,  to  cultivate  a  refined  and  well- 
regulated  imagination,  to  task,  and  thus  to  give 
vigor  to  his  reasoning  powers.  He  points  out 
the  appropriate  objects  of  the  several  affections, 
and  the  proper  exercise  of  the  passions  ;  he  gives 
lessons  to  conscience,  derived  from  the  pure 
fountain  of  God's  own  revelation,  and  teaches 
him  to  subject  his  own  will  to  the  Highest  Will 
He  instructs  him  in  the  various  sciences,  and 
thus  displays  before  him  worlds  of  wondrous 
interest,  and  invests  him  with  the  sources  and 
means  of  pure  enjoyment.  He  trains  him  for 
the  sweet  sympathies  of  social  life  ;   and  unfolds 


396     THE      REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 

The  infant  becomes  a  man.— A  transit.— No  limits  to  usefulness. 

before  him  the  high  behests  of  duty — duty  to 
himself,  his  fellow-creatures,  his  family,  his  God. 

"  Under  such  a  tuition,  behold  the  helpless 
infant  grown  to  manhood's  prime, — a  body  well 
developed,  strong,  and  active ;  a  mind  symmetric- 
ally unfolded,  and  powers  of  intellection  closely 
allied  to  those  of  the  spirits  in  celestial  spheres. 
He  becomes  a  husband  and  a  father ;  in  these, 
and  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  performs  well 
his  part.  Above  all,  he  is  a  Christian,  with  well- 
trained  affections  and  a  tender  conscience,  su- 
premely loving  God,  maintaining  a  constant  war- 
fare with  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil, — 
growing  up  into  the  stature  of  a  perfect  man  in 
Christ,  and  anticipating  the  fullness  of  joy  and 
pleasure  for  evermore  which  are  at  God's  right 
hand.  The  time  of  his  departure  at  length  ar- 
rives ;  he  has  fought  the  good  fight,  he  has  fin- 
ished his  course,  and  he  goes  to  obtain  his  crown 
and  to  attune  his  harp,  and  forever  to  dwell  on 
the  hills  of  light  and  love,  where  angels  gather 
immortality.  O,  what  a  transit ;  from  the  de- 
pendent helplessness  of  infancy  to  the  glory  of  a 
seraph ;  from  mind  scarcely  manifested,  to  mind 
ranging  over  the  immensity  of  Jehovah's  empire, 
and  rising  in  the  loftiest  exercises  of  reason  and 
affection !  And  how  much  has  the  faithful 
teacher  had  to  do  in  fitting  him  for  the  blissful 
mansions  of  the  skies  !  " 

If  such  be  the  teacher's  work,  where  is  the 
limit  to  his  usefulness  ?    Yet  he  may  do  this  not 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.      397 
Honorable.— Wiy?— Our  great  men  began  as  teachers. 

for  one  merely,  but  for  scores,  or  even  hundreds. 
Eternity  alone  can  display  the  immeasurable, 
inconceivable  usefulness  of  one  devoted  teacher. 

And  is  not  the  teacher's  calling  honorable  ? 
It  is, — for  its  usefulness  makes  it  honorable.  To 
scatter  the  light  of  truth  is  always  honorable. 
So  some  of  the  greatest  and  best  men  the  world 
ever  saw  have  believed,  and  have  illustrated  their 
faith  by  their  practice.  Confucius,  Socrates, 
Seneca,  Aristotle,  and  Plato  were  specimens  of 
the  teachers  of  ancient  date.  Roger  Ascham, 
John  Milton,  Francke,  Pestalozzi,  Arnold,  and  a 
host  of  others,  have  adorned  the  profession  in 
later  times.  Yet  these  are  men  who  have  taught 
the  world  to  think.  Their  works  live  after  them, 
— and  will  continue  to  live,  when  the  proud  fame 
of  the  mighty  warriors,  who  have  marked  their 
course  in  blood,  shall  have  perished  from  the 
earth. 

If  it  were  necessary  and  not  invidious,  how 
many  distinguished  men  in  our  own  country 
could  be  mentioned,  who  have  been  teachers  of 
the  young,  or  who  are  still  engaged  as  such. 
Besides  those  who  have  made  teaching  the  busi- 
ness of  their  lives,  how  many  have  been  tem- 
porarily employed  in  this  calling.  Some  of  our 
presidents,  many  of  our  governors,  most  of  our 
jurists  and  divines, — indeed,  some  of  every  pro- 
fession, ^^ and  of  the  chiefs  women  not  a  few''' — 
have  first  distinguished  themselves  as  school- 
teachers.   Well  may  teachers,  then,  regard  their 


398      THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Gratitude  of  pupils.— Gratitude  to  parents  first. 

profession  as  an  honorable  one ;  always  remem- 
bering, however,  that  "  it  is  not  the  position 
which  makes  the  man  honorable,  but  the  man 
the  position." 

VI.  The  teacher  enjoys  the  grateful  remerrir- 
hrance  of  his  pupils  and  of  their  friends.  When 
a  distinguished  writer  said,  ''God  be  thanked  for 
the  gift  of  mothers  and  school-masters,"  he  ex- 
pressed but  the  common  sentiment  of  the  human 
heart.  The  name  of  parent  justly  enkindles  the 
warmest  emotions  in  the  heart  of  him  who  has 
gone  out  from  his  native  home  to  engage  in  the 
busy  scenes  of  the  work-day  world ;  and  when 
sometimes  he  retires  from  the  companionship  of 
new-made  friends  to  recall  the  picture  of  the  past 
and  the  loved  of  other  days, — to  think 

"  Of  childish  joys  when  bounding  boyhood  knew 
No  grief,  but  chased  the  gorgeous  butterfly, 
And  gambol'd  with  the  breeze,  that  tossed  about 
His  silken  curls—" 

how  sweetly  do  the  gentle  influences  of  home 
and  childhood,  with  all  their  tender  and  hallowed 
associations,  come  stealing  over  the  soul !  The 
world  is  forgotten ;  care  may  not  intrude  upon 
this  sacred  hour ;  objects  of  sense  are  unheeded ; 
the  call  to  pleasure  is  disregarded ; — while  the 
rapt  soul  introverted — transported — dwells  with 
unspeakable  delight  upon  its  consecrated  recol- 
lection of  all  that  is  venerable,  all  that  is  sacred 
in  the  name  of  parent.  At  this  favored  hour, 
how  the  heart  swells  at  the  thought  of  a  mother's 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.      399 
A  devoted  mother.— Teaclier  next  to  the  parent. 


love !  The  smiles,  the  kind  words,  the  sympathy, 
the  counsels,  the  prayers,  the  tears, — how  fondly 
the  memory  treasures  them  all  iip,  and  claims 
them  for  its  own !  And  though  Death  may  have 
long  since  intruded,  and  consigned  that  gentle 
form  to  the  cold  earth,  rudely  sundering  the 
cherished  bonds  of  affection,  and  leaving  the 
hearth-stone  desolate, — though  Change  may  have 
brought  strangers  to  fell  the  favorite  tree,  to  re- 
move the  ancient  landmarks,  to  lay  waste  the 
pleasant  places,  and  even  to  tread  thoughtlessly 
by  the  humble  mound  that  marks  the  revered 
spot  where  "  departed  worth  is  laid," — though 
Time,  ''with  his  effacing  fingers,"  may  have  been 
busy  in  obliterating  the  impressions  of  childhood 
from  the  mind,  or  in  burying  them  deeply  be- 
neath the  rubbish  of  perplexing  cares, — still  the 
true  heart  never  tires  with  the  thought  of  a  fond 
parent,  nor  ever  ceases  to  "  thank  God  upon  every 
remembrance  "  of  a  pious,  devoted  mother! 

Thus  it  should  ever  be.  Nothing  on  earth 
should  be  allowed  to  claim  the  gratitude  which 
is  justly  due  to  judicious  parents.  But  the  faith- 
ful, devoted  teacher,  the  former  of  youthful  char- 
acter and  the  guide  of  youthful  study,  will  be 
sure  to  have  the  next  place  in  the  grateful  heart. 
Whether  the  young  man  treads  the  deck  of  the 
noble  ship,  in  his  lonely  watch,  as  she  proudly 
walks  the  waters  by  night, — or  journeys  among 
strangers  in  foreign  lands ; — wherever  he  goes,  or 
however  employed, — as  often  as  his  thoughts  re- 


400      THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Gratitude  of  parents.— Example. 

visit  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  dwell  with 
interest  upon  the  events  that  marked  his  youth- 
ful progress,  he  will  recur  to  the  old  familiar 
school-house,  call  up  its  well-remembered  inci- 
dents— its  joys  and  its  sorrows — its  trials  and  its 
triumphs — its  all-pervading  and  ever-abiding  in- 
fluences, and  devoutly  thank  God  for  the  gift  of 
a  faithful,  self-denying,  patient  teacher. 

But  the  teacher  is  rewarded  also  by  the  grati- 
tude of  parents  and  friends.  Some  of  the  sweetest 
moments  a  teacher  ever  experiences,  are  those 
when  a  parent  takes  him  by  the  hand,  and  with 
cordial  sincerity  and  deep  emotion,  thanks  him 
for  what  he  has  done  for  his  child.  It  may  have 
been  a  wayward,  thoughtless,  perhaps  a  vicious 
boy,  whom  kind  words  and  a  warm  heart,  on  the 
part  of  the  teacher,  have  won  back  to  the  path 
of  rectitude  and  virtue. 

I  have  seen  an  old  lady — and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  sight — bending  under  the  infirmities 
of  age, — blind,  and  yet  dependent  mainly  upon 
her  labor  for  support,  invoking  the  richest  of 
heaven's  blessings  upon  the  head  of  a  teacher, 
who,  by  kindness  and  perseverance,  had  won  back 
her  wayward  grandson  to  obedience  and  duty. 
How  her  full  soul  labored  as  she  described  the 
change  that  had  taken  place !  Her  emotion^oo 
deep  for  utterance  in  words — found  expression 
only  in  tears  that  streamed  from  her  sightless 
eyes!  She  felt  that  her  boy  was  again  a  child 
of  hope  and  promise,  and  that  he   might  yet  be 


THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.        401 
Widow's  gratitude.— Approval  of  Heaven.— The  Great  Teacher. 

a  /irtuous  and  a  useful  man.  The  world  may 
raise  its  empty  acclamation  to  honor  the  man  of 
power  and  of  fame, — it  may  applaud  the  statesman 
and  weave  the  chaplet  for  the  conqueror's  brow ; — 
but  the  teacher,  humble  and  obscure  though  he 
may  be,  who  is  the  object  of  the  widow's  grati- 
tude for  being  the  orphan's  friend,  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  deserving  it,  is  a  happier,  I  had 
almost  said  a  greater  man.  Surely  he  receives  a 
greater  reward. 

VII.  The  faithful  teacher  enjoys  the  approval 
of  Heaven.  He  is  employed,  if  he  has  a  right 
spirit,  in  a  heavenly  mission.  He  is  doing  his 
Heavenly  Father's  business.  That  man  should 
be  made  wiser  and  happier,  is  the  will  of  Heaven. 
To  this  end,  the  Son  of  God — The  Great  Teacher 
— came  to  bless  our  race.  So  far  as  the  school- 
master has  the  spirit  of  Jesus,  he  is  engaged  in 
the  same  great  work.  Heaven  regards  with  com- 
placency the  humble  efforts  of  the  faithful  teacher 
to  raise  his  fellow-beings  from  the  darkness  of 
ignorance  and  the  slavery  of  superstition ;  and 
if  a  more  glorious  crown  is  held  in  reserve  for 
one  rather  than  another,  it  is  for  him  who,  un- 
cheered  by  worldly  applause,  and  without  the 
prospect  of  adequate  reward  from  his  fellow- 
men,  cheerfully  practices  the  self-denial  of  his 
master,  spending  his  strength,  and  doing  with 
diligence  and  patience  "whatsoever  his  hand 
findeth  to  do,"  toward  raising  his  fellow-beings 
to  happiness  and  Heaven. 


402       THE     REWARDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 
Lord  Brougham.— An  epitapli. — Cease  repining. 

It  is  such  a  teacher  that  the  eloquent  and 
gifted  Lord  Brougham  describes  in  the  following 
beautiful  language : 

"He  meditates  and  prepares,  in  secret,  the 
plans  which  are  to  bless  mankind ;  he  slowly 
gathers  around  him  those  who  are  to  further 
their  execution, — he  quietly,  though  firmly,  ad- 
vances in  his  humble  path,  laboring  steadily,  but 
calmly,  till  he  has  opened  to  the  light  all  the 
recesses  of  ignorance,  and  torn  up  by  the  roots 
the  weeds  of  vice.  His  progress  is  not  to  be 
compared  with  any  thing  like  the  march  of  the 
conqueror, — but  it  leads  to  a  far  more  brilliant 
triumph  and  to  laurels  more  imperishable  than 
the  destroyer  of  his  species,  the  scourge  of  the 
world,  ever  won.  Each  one  of  these  great  teach- 
ers of  the  world,  possessing  his  soul  in  peace, 
performs  his  appointed  course,  awaits  in  patience 
the  fulfillment  of  the  promises,  and  resting  from 
his  labors,  bequeaths  his  memory  to  the  genera- 
tion whom  his  works  have  blessed,  and.  sleeps 
under  the  humble,  but  not  inglorious  epitaph, 
commemorating  '  one  in  luhom  mankind  lost  a 
friend,  and  no  tnan  got  rid  of  an  enemy.'' " 

In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  let  the  teacher 
cease  to  repine  at  his  hard  lot.  Let  him  cast  an 
occasional  glance  at  the  bright  prospect  before 
him.  He  deserves,  to  be  sure,  a  higher  pecun- 
iary reward  than  he  receives ;  and  he  should 
never   cease   to   press   this   truth  upon   the   com- 


THE     REWAEDS     OF     THE     TEACHER.       403 
Magnify  Ms  office. — How? — Moral  recompense. 

munity,  till  talent  in  teaching  is  as  well  compen- 
sated as  talent  in  any  other  calling.  But  whether 
he  gains  this  or  not,  let  him  dwell  upon  the 
privileges  and  rewards  to  be  found  in  the  calling 
itself,  and  take  fresh  encouragement. 

The  apostle  Paul  exhibited  great  wisdom  when 
he  said,  "/  magnify  mine  office^  If  the  fore- 
going views  respecting  the  importance  of  the 
teacher's  calling  are  correct,  he  may  safely  fol- 
low the  apostle's  example.  This  is  not,  however, 
to  be  done  merely  by  boastful  words.  No  man 
can  elevate  himself,  or  magnify  his  office  in  pub- 
lic estimation,  by  indulging  in  empty  declama- 
tion, or  by  passing  inflated  resolutions.  He  must 
feel  the  dignity  of  his  profession,  and  show  that 
he  feels  it  by  unremitted  exertions  to  attain  to 
the  highest  excellence  of  which  he  is  capable, — 
animated,  in  the  midst  of  his  toil,  chiefly  by  the 
great  moral  recompense  which  every  faithful 
teacher  may  hope  to  receive. 

Let  every  teacher,  then,  study  to  improve 
himself  intellectually  and  morally ;  let  him  strive 
to  advance  in  the  art  of  teaching ;  let  him  watch 
the  growth  of  mind  under  his  culture  and  take 
the  encouragement  which  that  affords ;  let  him 
consider  the  usefulness  he  may  effect,  and  the 
circumstances  which  make  his  calling  honorable ; 
let  him  prize  the  gratitude  of  his  pupils,  and  of 
their  parents  and  friends ;  and  above  all,  let  him 
value  the  approval  of  Heaven,  and  set  a  proper 
estimate  upon  the  rewards  which   another  world 


404        THE     REWAKDS     OF     THE     TEACHER. 


Final  reward. 


will  unfold  to  him, — and  thus  be  encouraged  to 
toil  on  in  faithfulness  and  in  hope, — till,  having 
finished  his  course,  and  being  gathered  to  the 
home  of  the  righteous,  he  shall  meet  multitudes 
instructed  by  his  wise  precept,  and  profited  by 
his  pure  example,  who  "shall  rise  up  and  call 
him  blessed." 


CHAPTER    XYII. 

NOTES  ON  THE  TEACHER'S  AUTHORITY  AND 
RIGHTS.* 

TEACHERS  are  peculiarly  exposed  to  criti- 
cism, censure,  and  to  the  annoyances  and 
dangers  of  legal  persecution.  The  relations  of 
the  teacher  to  school  oflflcers,  pupils,  parents,  and 
the  general  public  are  so  many,  so  delicate,  so 
poorly  defined,  and  so  little  understood,  that  dan- 
ger from  these  sources  is  always  imminent;  and 
it  should  be  a  matter  of  first  concern,  for  one  so 
situated,  to  have  some  tolerably  definite  knowl- 
edge of  his  legal  rights.  ^Vhat  follows  is  a  mere 
summary ;  but  the  references  will  enable  any  one 
to  supplement  this  outline  almost  at  will. 

In  public  school  administration,  the  downward 
distribution  of  rights,  prerogatives,  and  duties  is 
made  as  follows :    By  the  election  of  the  board  of 

♦  The  references  are  to  the  following  works  by  number  and  page : 
1.   The  Lawyer  in  the   School-room.     By  M.   McN.   Walsh.     New 
York :  1867. 

*.    Conomon  School  Law.    By  C.  W.  Bardeen.    Sjrracuse  :  1878. 

3.  A  Treatise   on  the  Law  of  Public  Schools.     By  Pinley  Burke. 
New  York :  1880. 

4.  Eecent  School  Law  Decisions.    Compiled  by  Lyndon  A.  Smith. 
Washington:  1883. 

5.  The  Power  and  Authority  of  School  Oflacers  and  Teachers.    New 

York:  1885. 


406  NOTES     ON     THE     TEACHER'S 

Trustees.— Superintendent.— Teachers. 

trustees  or  school  committee,  there  passes  from 
the  hands  of  the  people  that  part  of  their  sover- 
eign power  which  relates  to  the  management  of 
the  school  and  its  resources ;  and  the  power  thus 
transferred  to  such  officers  can  not  be  recalled 
at  will,  nor  can  the  people  interfere  with  their 
agents  save  in  cases  of  gross  maladministration, 
which  would  justify  impeachment.  In  case  of 
dissatisfaction,  the  people  have  their  remedy  in 
the  opportunity  for  better  selections  when  terms 
of  office  are  about  to  expire. 

The  board  of  trustees  may  delegate  certain 
duties  to  a  superintendent  or  principal,  and  by 
this  act  they  invest  him  with  certain  rights  and 
prerogatives ;  and  when  this  transfer  has  been 
made  it  is  no  more  subject  to  recall  than  in  the 
case  just  stated.  Within  his  province  the  super- 
intendent has  just  the  same  immunity  from  in- 
terference as  the  board  has  within  its  province. 

In  his  turn,  the  superintendent  delegates  cer- 
tain duties  to  his  subordinates,  and  so  invests 
them  with  certain  rights  and  prerogatives ;  and 
within  their  province  teachers  should  be  as  free 
from  interference  as  their  superior  is  in  his. 

A  clear  definition  of  these  respective  spheres 
of  duty  would  relieve  public  school  administra- 
tion of  many  of  its  difficulties,  and  at  the  same 
time  would  promote  a  manly  independence  among 
teachers.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  charged  with 
responsibilities,  and  at  the  same  time  allowed  all 
proper  freedom  of  action  in  working  out  required 


AUTHORITY     AND     RIGHTS.  407 

Prerogatives  of  board,— superintendent,— teacher. 

results.  Noble  natures  are  made  better  and 
stronger  by  being  trusted.  Without  attempting 
an  exact  definition  of  the  prerogatives  of  board, 
superintendent,  and  teacher,  the  following  state- 
ments will  indicate  where  the  lines  should  be 
drawn. 

Prerogatives  of  the  hoard.  The  entire  mate- 
rial support  of  the  school ;  the  employment  of 
teachers ;  the  adoption  of  courses  of  study ;  the 
selection  of  text-books ;  the  making  of  general 
rules  and  regulations. 

Prerogatives  of  the  superintendent.  The  clas- 
sification of  pupils ;  general  methods  of  instruc- 
tion and  government ;  the  execution  of  the  gen- 
eral rules  of  the  board ;  the  movements  of  pupils 
within  the  building  and  on  the  grounds ;  exam- 
inations and  promotions. 

Prerogatives  of  the  teacher.  The  arrangement 
of  the  time-table  ;  the  seating  of  the  pupils ;  the 
movements  of  pupils  within  the  room ;  mode  of 
recitation ;  methods  of  instruction  and  govern- 
ment within  the  general  limits  prescribed  above. 
Where  there  is  no  superintendent  or  principal, 
the  teacher's  prerogatives  will  be  considerably 
enlarged ;  and  in  isolated  schools,  as  in  the  coun= 
try,  a  wider  jurisdiction  should  be  allowed  in  the 
way  of  authority. 

While  the  selection  of  subordinate  teachers 
and  of  text-books  is  nominally  a  prerogative  of 
the  board,  it  should  always  be  based  on  the  judg- 
ment of  the  superintendent  or  principal ;  for  the 


408  NOTES     ON"     THE     TEACHER'S 

The  State,  as  the  patron  of  the  public  schools. 

hearty  co-operation  of  teachers  can  scarcely  be 
secured  unless  they  are  conscious  that  their  elec- 
tion and  retention  are  somewhat  dependent  on 
the  approval  of  their  superior ;  and  the  relative 
merits  of  text-books  can  best  be  determined  by 
those  whose  duties  have  given  them  special  com- 
petence in  such  matters. 

The  State,  as  the  patron  of  the  public  schools, 
may  make  certain  studies  compulsory;  but  be- 
yond this,  the  board  must  prescribe  what  branches 
are  to  be  taught.  The  teacher  has  no  legal  right 
whatever  to  introduce  a  study  or  a  text-book  on 
his  own  motion  (5:  24,  33;  3:  108,  111;  2: 
41). 

It  appears  from  recent  decisions,  that  while 
the  board  may  determine  what  subjects  shall  be 
taught,  it  may  not  compel  pupils  to  pursue  all 
the  studies  in  the  course ;  but  must  make  ex- 
ceptions on  the  demands  of  parents  (5:  34,  41, 
46;  3:  112,  113;  3  :  42  ;  4:  65,  78).  If  par- 
ents were  generally  to  act  in  accord  with  these 
decisions  it  would  be  very  difficult,  if  not  impos- 
sible, to  m.aintain  a  graded  course  of  instruction ; 
for  in  one  case  (5:  46)  it  would  seem  that  a  pu- 
pil who  had  not  completed  the  studies  of  one 
grade  might  demand  admission  to  a  higher 
grade.  Some  check  on  these  irregularities  may 
be  found  in  refusing  graduation  to  those  who 
have  not  completed  the  entire  course  of  study. 

The  decisions  of  the  courts  uphold  the  right 
of   boards   to   make    regularity   of    attendance   a 


AUTHORITY     AND     RIGHTS.  409 

Suspension.— Expulsion.— Corporal  punishment. 

condition  of  membership,  and  to  suspend  pupils 
who  have  violated  the  attendance  rule  (5:  3,  10; 
3:  94;  4:  74;  2:  34).  However,  the  law  will 
not  justify  a  teacher  in  barring  the  door  against 
a  tardy  pupil,  especially  in  inclement  weather 
(5:9).  In  case  of  absence,  the  teacher  may  re- 
quire a  written  excuse  from  the  parent  (5  :  22). 

The  power  to  expel  lies  with  the  board,  and 
not  with  the  teacher  (5:  81,  84,  159;  2:  56). 
The  teacher  may  suspend  pupils,  even  when 
there  are  no  rules  on  the  subject  (5  :  77  : 
3:  117;  4:  76). 

The  law  will  sustain  the  teacher  in  inflicting 
corporal  punishment,  provided  it  be  reasonable 
and  for  sufficient  cause  (1:  71;  2:  74;  3:  119; 
4:  77;  5:  105,  113,  114).  The  reasonable  as- 
sumption is,  that  in  respect  of  restraint  and  cor- 
rection, the  teacher  is  in  loco  parentis,  and  may 
exercise  that  degree  of  force  that  would  be  justi- 
fiable in  a  parent  (1:  72,  73,  74,  109;  2  :  84 ; 
3:  119,  123;  4:  77;  5:  111). 

The  law  regards  the  pupil  as  under  the  juris- 
diction of  his  teacher,  from  the  time  he  leaves 
his  home  till  he  returns  there ;  and  the  pupil 
may  be  punished  for  offenses  committed  on  his 
way  to  school  and  from  school,  if  such  offenses 
tend  to  injure  the  school,  or  bring  the  teacher  or 
his  authority  into  disrespect  (1:  98,  110;  2:  63; 
3  :  129  ;  5  :  96).  A  pupil  may  be  punished,  even 
for  offenses  that  he  commits  at  home,  if  thereby 
the   teacher   suffers   contempt    (3:  129;    5:  9  6). 


410  NOTES     ON     THE     TEACHER'S 

Religious  exercises.— "Written  contract. 

Pupils  over  twenty-one  years  of  age  have  no  ex- 
emption from  the  rules  of  the  school  (5 :  133; 
3:  130).  A  pupil  may  be  detained  after  school 
hours  for  discipline,  or  for  learning  a  lesson 
(3:  72). 

In  general,  the  law  leaves  the  question  of  re- 
ligious exercise  to  the  discretion  of  the  board 
(3:  102;  3:  50  ;  1:  Chapters  II.  and  III;  5:  68). 

In  all  cases  it  is  prudent  for  the  teacher  to 
have  a  written  contract,  in  which  should  be  speci- 
fied the  duration  of  the  term  of  service,  the  time 
of  beginning,  the  vacations  and  holidays  that 
may  be  allowed,  the  length  of  the  school  month, 
and  the  amount  and  manner  of  payment  {2 :  Part 
II. ;  3 :  Chapter  VIII.).  Before  a  teacher  can 
make  a  valid  contract,  he  must  have  a  license 
(3:  70).  The  teacher  can  collect  pay  for  time 
lost  while  the  school  was  closed  by  the  board  on 
account  of  an  epidemic  (3:  82). 

What  is  known  as  "  janitor's  work,"  i.  e.,  sweep- 
ing, building  fires,  etc.,  can  not  be  exacted  of  the 
teacher,  unless  there  is  an  express  agreement  to 
this  effect  in  the  contract.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
board  to  make  provision  for  things  of  this  kind, 
and  the  amount  paid  for  such  work  can  not  be 
deducted  from  the  teacher's  wages.  Very  often 
such  work  is  done  by  the  teacher  and  older  pu- 
pils, and  this  is  well,  where  it  is  done  voluntarily  ■ 
but  such  service  can  not  be  required  (2:  25). 
It  would  be  unwise  for  a  teacher  at  all  times  to 
insist  on  what  he  knows   to  be  his   rights ;   it   is 


AUTHORITY     AND     RIGHTS.  411 

The  laws  favor  the  teacher. 

sometiraes  prudent  to  hold  these  in  abeyance. 
There  is  sometimes  a  proneness,  especially  in  the 
smaller  communities,  for  those  who  are  in  au- 
thority to  magnify  their  office  unduly,  and  so  to 
put  a  narrow  construction  on  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  teacher.  The  rule  of  safety  is  to  keep  clearly 
within  the  sphere  of  one's  rights.  In  case  these 
rights  are  assailed,  it  is  both  a  public  as  well  as 
a  private  duty  to  defend  them.  The  law  recog- 
nizes the  difficulties  incident  to  the  teacher's  of- 
fice, and  the  necessity  of  upholding  his  authority ; 
and  the  courts  are  ever  disposed  to  put  a  gener- 
ous construction  on  his  acts  and  motives  when 
engaged  in  the  defense  of  decency  and  good 
order. 


INDEX. 


Abbott,  Jacob,  188,  330 ;  on  "  first 
day",  267. 

Ability,  324. 

Accuracy,  150,  366,  367,  391. 

Acquisition,  180,  182. 

Adaptation,  343,  386. 

Addition,  92. 

Additions  to  Text,  5,  6. 

Admonition,  259. 

Advancement,  176. 

Affection,  194,  257,  395;  freez- 
ing, 229. 

Agnew,  Professor,  395. 

Agriculture,  81. 

Aid,  Mutual,  333-343. 

Aim  of  education,  100-102,  184, 
340. 

Air,  306,  309. 

Albany  Normal  School,  4,  6, 15, 16. 

Alchohol,  Physiological  effects 
of,  83. 

Algebra,  79. 

Alphabet,  73. 

Alternations,  275,  278. 

Ambition,  159. 

Analysis,  75. 

Anger,  187,  250,  252. 

Animation,  145. 

Answers,  124,  125,  141. 

Approbation,  175,  176,  194. 

Aptness,  105,  137,  138,  380. 

Aristocracy,  192,  266,  345,  346. 

Aristotle,  Science  of  G-overnment, 
86. 

Arithmetic,  77,  78,  275;  Col- 
burn's  Intellectual,  39;  Men- 
tal, 39,  77  ;  Written,  41. 

Arnold,  Matthew,  397. 

Arrangements  of  schools,  262- 
295. 


Art,    104  ;     of    illustration,    371- 

376;    of    teaching,    4,    22,    325, 

327,  392. 
Ascham,  Roger,  396. 
Assistant,  275. 
Assumption,  188,  189,  341. 
Astronomy,  88,  331,  357. 
Attainments,    22,  71,  72,  73,    88, 

103,  323,  340. 
Attendance,   Regularity  of,    408, 

409. 
Attention,     119,    123,     127,    137, 

138,  143,  146,  153. 
Auburn  Prison,  54-57. 
Authority,    187,    188,    216,    217, 

236,  237,  243,  405-411. 

Baby-talk,  357. 

Bacon,  Francis,  21,  323. 

Bain,  Alexander,   135,   185,   330; 

on  Text-books,  136. 
Bardeen,  C.  W.,  405. 
Barnard,  Henry,  11 ;   Journal  of 

Education,  11,  27. 
Bartlett  pear,  32. 
Bathing,  61. 
Belles-lettres,  90. 
Bible,  50,  52, 178,  207,  249  ;  study 

of,  355,  380 ;  a  means  of  tort- 
ure, 223,  224,  355. 
Blackguardism,  222. 
Black  marks,  209. 
Blind,  181. 
Boasting,  352. 
Body,  396 ;  punishment  through, 

218,  219,  23^249. 
Book-keeping,  84,  85. 
Books,    Care    of,    364;    helps,    44, 

45,  146 ;  list  of,  6,  330 ;  use  of, 

40,  44,  135,  136. 


INDEX. 


418 


Boorishness,  67. 
Botany,  83,  331,  357. 
Branch  of  study,  360. 
Bronchitis,  317,  318. 
Brougham,  Lord,  96,  330,  402. 
Burke,  Finley,  330,  405,  408,  409, 

410. 
Business    in    school    hours,    349, 

350. 

Cailiko  of  the  Teachee,  319- 
343,  391,  394,  395,  396 ;  honor- 
able, 397. 

Care  of  health,  304-318. 

Care  of  school-room,  363,  410. 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  89,  370. 

Catholicity,  52,  235,  236,  256, 
260,  326. 

Censure,  260. 

Chagrin,  33,  229,  353,  370. 

Change,  339;  of  program,  276; 
of  work,  329. 

Character,  60,  69,  95,  99,  177, 
179,  260,  344,  345,  367. 

Chart,  Normal,  74. 

Chastisement,  234,  249,  260. 

Cheerfulness,  314,  315,  367-370. 

Chemistry,  81,  331,  357. 

Child,  Capacity  of,  27,  96,  97, 
102, 180,  181 ;  choice  of  studies, 
346-348;  danger  of  misguid- 
ance, 26,  94,  95,  106,  263,  347, 
366;  deformity  of,  190;  emu- 
lation in,  158 ;  growth  of,  180, 
181,  393;  health  of,  36,  98, 
180 ;  home  of,  238,  239 ;  imita- 
tion of,  145  ;  intellectual  devel- 
opment of,  38,  95,  393;  moral 
-  training  of,  46,  96,  179,  217, 
238,  395 ;  neglect  of,  34  ;  obedi- 
ence of,  181,  362 ;  qualities  in, 
193,  194,  353. 

Choice  of  studies,  347,  348. 

Christianity,  51,  161,  176,  177, 
396. 

Classes,  278. 

Classification,  271,  272,  273,  407 ; 
difficulty  of,  276. 

Cleanliness,  61,  62,  310. 

Clock,  274. 

Coarseness,  64,  145,  198,  222, 
320. 


Colbum,  Warren,  309. 
Colbum's  Intellectual  Arithmetic, 

39,  77. 
Comenius,  S.  S.  Laurie's,  330. 
"Comforter,"  The,  316. 
Commonplace-book,  142,  143,  331, 

332. 
Common  School  Law,  Bardeen's, 

405,  408,  409,  410. 
Comparisons,  Invidious,  352-,  353. 
Compayre,  G.,  330. 
Competence,  324,  325. 
Competitors,    169,    170,   171,  172, 

324,  325. 
Composition,  41,  277,  332,  336. 
Concert  recitation,  151,  356. 
Conduct,  260. 

Conducting  recitations,  137-153. 
Confession,  368. 
Confidence,  200 ;  loss  of,  227. 
Confinement,   231,  232,  245,  246; 

of    children,   286;    futility   of, 

246. 
Confucius,  397. 

Confusion  illustrated,  280-283. 
Conscience,   47,   48,   97,  177,  178, 

194,  229,  257,  368 ;  a  law,  203 ; 

a  reward,  174,  391. 
Consciousness  of  success,  391,  392, 

393,  395. 
Conservatism,  20,  321. 
Contract,  410. 
Contradictories,     157,     159,    160, 

fll,    213,    223,    235,    236,    260, 

322,  373,  374. 
Conversion,  Intellectual,  341. 
Convicts,      Appearance      of,      55, 

56. 
Com,  an  object  lesson,  119-125. 
Corporal     piinishment,     235-249, 

409 ;    its   abolition   ideal,    241 ; 

limitations,  249-261,  409;  Hor- 
ace Mann  on  the  necessity  of, 

237-241. 
Countenance,  367-371. 
Course   of   study,    330,    331,   348, 

407,  408. 
Courtesy,  64,  67,  198,  199. 
Cousin,  Victor,  96,  330. 
Cramming,  46,  287,  290,  294. 
Credits,  209. 
Crime,  55. 


414 


INDEX. 


Cruelty,  223,  224. 

Culture,     23,    88,    89,    229,    325- 

333. 
Curiosity,  180,  182,  183. 
Cuvier,  357. 
Cyclopaedia  of  Education,  Kiddle 

and  Schem's,  330. 

Day-dreams  of    a   School-mastee, 

Thompson's,  330. 
Deaf,  181. 

Decimal  notation,  148. 
Decision,  194. 
Declamation,  277. 
Defining,  39. 

Delay  in  punishment,  252. 
Deliberation,  252,  253. 
De  Sacy,  General  Grammar,  79. 
Description,  41. 
Desires,  183 ;  proper,  175-185. 
Desks,  364. 

Details  of  teaching,  4. 
Detention,  410. 
Development,    96,    361,    396;    of 

the  -whole  man,  98,  396. 
Dictionnaire  de  Pedagogic,  361. 
Diet,  305,  311,  312,  313. 
Direction   of   pupils'    study,    346, 

347. 
Disciplinary     punishment,      253, 

260. 
Discipline,  97,  210,  395,  410. 
Discovery,  116, 121,  130,  135, 183, 

336. 
Discretion,  203,  253. 
Dismissing,  68,  383,  384. 
Disrespect,  409. 
District,  Pactions  in,  241 ;    state 

of,  265. 
Divinity,  27. 
Doing,    22;     after    knowing,    92, 

119. 
Do  right,  177,  178,  202,  205,  229, 

259,  333. 
Drawing,  86,  274. 
Drawing-out     process,     109  - 114, 

134. 
Dress,  62,  306,  314,  345. 
Drink,  313. 
Driving,  308. 
Dullness,  353. 
Duty,  323. 


Ear,  181,  219,  220,  221. 

Education,  91,  IOC,  102,  330 ;  aim 
of,  100-102,  184,  340 ;  is  devel- 
opment, 96,  98;  discipline,  97, 
184 ;  history  of,  19 ;  not  knowl- 
edge of  facts,  97,  liberal,  103; 
a  life-work,  89;  limitations  of, 
102 ;  necessity  of.  34 ;  phases 
22,  98,  102;  professional,  21, 
89,  93,  94,  104,  321,  330;  right 
views  of,  91-104. 

Education,  Spencer's,  330. 

Educational  epidemic,  361. 

Educational  library,  330. 

Educational  millennium,  321. 

Education  and  School,  Thring's, 
330. 

Education  as  a  Science,  Bain's, 
330. 

Efifort,  169,  170,  171,  172. 

Elementary  sounds,  73,  74. 

Elements  of  education,  38,  347, 
348. 

Elm,  126-129. 

Elocution,  39. 

Emerson,  George  B.,  93,  94,  96, 
305,  330. 

Emile,  Rousseau's,  330. 

Employment,  200;  of  teachers, 
320,  407. 

Emulation,  155-162 ;  in  a  good 
sense,  157-159 ;  in  a  bad  sense, 
158,  159,  160. 

Encouragements,  323,  324,  339, 
340,  390,  401,  402. 

Ends,  105,  258,  306,  386;  of  edu- 
cation, 5,  97,  100. 

English  grammar,  42,  79  ;  bigotry 
in  the  study  of,  79. 

Enthusiasm,  138,  140,  143. 

Envy,  158,  162,  165,  353. 

Epidemic,  410. 

Epping,  11. 

Errors,  265,  266,  267,  268,  835, 
337,  343,  366;  in  education, 
99,  347. 

Essays  on  Educational  Reformers, 
Quick's,  330. 

Ethics,  20,  84,  178,  179;  profes- 
sional, 333-343. 

Evasion,  149. 

Evolution,  102,  360,  361. 


INDEX, 


415 


Examinations,       290  -  295,      407  ; 

objections   to,    291 ;   profitable, 

294,  295. 
Example,    47,    64,   66,    326;    e%'il, 

49;  lost,  173. 
Excitement,    145 ;   artificial,    154, 

182,  184;  nervous,  36,  37,  219, 

310. 
Exciting  interest   in    study,   154- 

185. 
Exclusiveness,  334. 
Excuses     from    parents,    409;    to 

\'lsitors,  350. 
Exemplary  punishment,  253,  260. 
Exercises,  36,  305,  306;   general, 

118,    206;    time    for,   308,    309, 

328. 
Exercises,  Religious,  410. 
Exhibitions,  292,  294,  341,  342. 
Expedients,  377. 
Expenses,  389. 

Experience,  21,  143,  255,  342. 
Experiments,  22 ;  upon  children, 

156,  163,  389,  390. 
Explanations,     147;     to    parents, 

299,  300. 
Expulsion,  247;   last  resort,  259; 

260 ;    objection    to,    247,    248 ; 

power  of,  409. 
"  Extraordinary  "to   be    avoided, 

342. 
Eye,  37,  38,  181 ;  care  of,  38. 

Eacts,  97 ;  not  fancy,  341. 

Failure,  288 ;  of  teachers,  335. 

Faith,  381,  382. 

Family,  The,  260,  315. 

Fat,  313. 

Favorite  branch,  360. 

Fear,  217,  259,  378,  379. 

Feet,  314. 

Few,  The,  166,  167,  266. 

Ilrmness,  194. 

First-day,  263,  264,  267. 

First  impressions,   197,   198,  262, 

208,  344. 
Fitch,  J.  G.,  330. 
Fitness,   grades  of,    20,    325;   for 

teaching,  19-24,  105,  138,  325. 
Food,    306,   311,  312,   313;   quan- 
tity of,  312. 
Force,  215,  243,  244,  245,  409. 


Form  of  thought,  39. 

Fox,  Mr.,  98. 

Francke,  A.  H.,  397. 

Franklin,    Dr.,   200;    on    excuses, 

350. 
Frankness,   367 ;  to  parents,    301. 

302. 
Friends,  Personal,   265,  266,  26-^ 

300,  301,  315,  339,  361,  362. 
Friendship,  335. 
Frowns,  368. 
Fruit,  313. 

GARDEjrrNG,  307. 

General  Grammar,  79. 

Genius,  171. 

Geography,  40,  76,  271;  anec- 
dote in,  76  ;  purpose  of,  40. 

Geology,  83,  331. 

Geometry,  80. 

Gifts,  138,  139,  172. 

God,  27,  47,  50,  51,   52,  179,  379, 
385;    approval  of,  29,  50,  177, 
343,    379,    401,    402;    kingdom 
of,     159,    179,    395,    396;     our 
Protector,   380,  381,   382,   383 
punishment    from,    218,    219 
rewards,    172,    179,    380,    382 
teacher's   need   of,  53,  58,  59 
wisdom  of,  183,  217,  359,  379. 

Groldsmith,  Oliver,  222. 

Government,  22,  191,  268,  407; 
equahty  in,  192,  193 ;  a  means, 
210;  of  school,  186-261,  336. 
340,  407  ;  uniformity  in,  192. 

Graduation,  408. 

Grammar,  41,  42,  43,  79,  144. 

Great  Teacher,  The,  401. 

Greek,  75. 

Growth,  180,  326,  327,  329,  360, 
390-394,  396. 

Habits,  Mechanicax,  45 ;  of  studjj^ 
69,  146  ;  of  teacher,  60-70. 

HaU,  S.  E.,  147. 

Hampton  Academy,  11. 

Head,  220,  253. 

Health,  Bodily,  36,  81,  82,  304, 
305-318. 

Heaven,  396,  401,  403. 

Helping  pupils,  114. 

Higher  branches,  360. 


416 


INDEX. 


Hissing,  227,  228. 

Histoire  de  la  Pedagogie,  Compayre's, 
330. 

History,  41,  7G,  90  ;  drawing  out, 
110,  111;  of  education,  19,  20, 
23,  90 ;   piu-pose  of,  41. 

Hitchcock,  President,  307. 

Hobbes,  Thomas,  135. 

i"  Hobbies  "  in  teaching,  355,  356 ; 
of  1829  to  1831,  358,  359  ;  cause 
of,  361. 

"Holding  a  nail,"  225. 

Home,  315,  398,  399. 

Home  Education,  Taylor's,  330. 

Honesty,  54,  300,  341 ;  in  exam- 
inations, 293,  368. 

Honor,  366. 

Hope,  53,  54 ;   disappointed,  33. 

Household  Education,  Miss  Mar- 
tineau's,  330. 

Howard,  E.  S.,  13,  210. 

Humiliation,  232,  366. 

Hypocrisy,  232,  292,  293,  294, 
300,  301,  342,  352,  363,  365. 

Ideal,  70,  91,  92,  95,  100,  101, 
103,  104,  157,  184. 

Ideas,  39 ;   in  child,  180,  181. 

Ignorance,  Inexcusable,  28. 

Illustration,  76,  86,  329,  335,  371 ; 
of  assumption,  189  ;  the  Auburn 
prison,  54  ;  of  immature  choice 
of  studies,  347 ;  decimal  nota- 
tion, 148  ;  of  lack  of  discretion, 
203,  204  ;  drawing-out  process, 
109-114 ;  of  perfection  in  edu- 
cation, 100,  101 ;  of  relative 
and  absolute  in  education,  102, 
103 ;  of  effect  of  ridicule,  228, 
229  ;  of  excuses  to  visitors,  350, 
351 ;  of  lack  of  firmness,  "  the 
unjust  judge,"  195,  196;  of 
parental  gratitude,  400 ;  of 
ignorance  in  science  of  gov- 
ernment, 85;  of  interruption 
in  district  school,  280-282  ;  that 
judges  disagree,  168 ;  the  neg- 
lected pear-tree,  30-34 ;  of 
"  Order  there  !  "  and  "  teach- 
ing," 211-214  ;  of  lack  of  plan, 
269,  270 ;  of  reformation,  365 ; 
of  religious  training,  377-387 ; 


of  scolding,  221 ;  sculptor  and 
spectator,  91,  92,  93;  of  self- 
control,  354 ;  of  lack  of  skill ; 
372-375 ;  waking-up  process, 
117-129. 

Imitation,  342,  343. 

Immortality,  52,  396. 

Impartiality,  193. 

Impatience,  205,  221,  322,  392. 

Impression,  197,  268,  365,  386. 

Improvement,  143,  264,  270,  323, 
325-333,  336,  337,  392,  403. 

Impulse,  6. 

Incentives,  155,  163,  167 ;  proper, 
175,  182. 

Indifference,  53,  117,  141,  287; 
from  the  prize  system,  165. 

Inductions,  255. 

Industry,  54,  210,  331. 

Information,  326. 

Injustice,  190,  219,  345,  388,  389. 

In  loco  parentis,  217,  409. 

Inquiry,  122,  265,  299,  300 ;  time 
for,  264. 

Institutes,  Teachers',  16,  337,  338  ; 
benefit  from,  340-343;  defini- 
tion of,  340 ;  perversion  of, 
338. 

Instruction,  20,  22,  96,  102,  182, 
210,  258. 

Instrument,  103,  104  ;  in  punish- 
ment, 253. 

Intellectual  growth,  390,  391. 

Interest,  154-185. 

Intermission,  Duration  of,  284, 
285;  hoiu^  for,  285;  for  each 
sex,  284. 

Interruptions,  272,  279-283. 

Intuition,  106,  138. 

Janitor's  woek,  410. 

Jokes,  222,  223. 

Journal  of  Education,  11,  27. 

Judges,  168 ;  ignorant  of  con- 
ditions, 169,  345 ;  ignorant  of 
improper  means  employed,  170. 

Judgment,  345,  370 ;  of  principal, 
407. 

Jug,  Mind  not  a,  108. 

Jurisdiction  of  teacher,  409. 

Justice,  47,  169,  171,  187,  191, 
192,  200,  203,  261. 


INDEX. 


417 


Kiddle,  H.,  330. 

Knowing,  22 ;  before  doing,  91, 
92,  93. 

Knowledge,  102,  135, 181, 323, 324, 
326,  395  ;  certain,  362  ;  desire 
for,  181,  183 ;  not  education, 
97  ;  not  an  end,  97  ;  self,  391 ; 
important  step  to,  53,  54;  un- 
safe, 95. 

Laloe,  330. 

Lancaster,  his  motto,  282. 

Landon,  Mr.,  330. 

Language,  64,  135,  144,  147,  180; 

how  to  study,  42,  43. 
Language  lessons,  42,  43. 
Latin,  75. 

Laughing,  223,  227. 
Laurie,  Simon  S.,  330. 
Law,   20,   201,   203,   259;  of  con- 
science, 203 ;  of  physical  health, 

37,  82 ;  of  mind,  83. 
Law  of  Public   Schools,  Burke's, 

330,  405,  408,  409,  410. 
Lawyer,  26. 
Lavryer      in      the      School-room, 

"Walsh's,  405,  409. 
Leading  questions,  109,  134. 
Lecturers,  338. 

Lectures,  88, 107,134,  340,  358,359. 
Lectures,  Mann's,  330. 
Lectures  of  the  American  Listi- 

tute,  330. 
Lectures     on    Teaching,    Pitch's, 

330. 
Legal  rights,  405. 
Leonard     and     Gertrude,    Pesta- 

lozzi's,  330. 
Lessons,  274,  286-288,  410. 
Letters,  Silent,  73,  74. 
Levana,  Richter's,  261,  330. 
Levity,  187. 

Library,  Teacher's,  330. 
License  to  teach,  20,  410. 
life.  Practical,  177 ;  professional, 

6,    332,    333;    sedentary,    312; 

regular,  328. 
Light,  309,  310. 

Limitation  of  topics  taught,  349. 
Limitations    and    suggestions   on 

corporal  punishment,  241-261. 
Lincoln,  D.  P.,  37,  330. 


Literary    quaUflcations     of     the 

teacher,  71-90. 
Literature,    77,    90  ;    educational, 

5,  330 ;  purpose  of,  41. 
"Living  by  wits,"  390. 
Locke,  John,  96,  330. 
Logic,  84. 
Love,  188,  194,  198,  227,  257;    of 

scholars,  362,  392. 
"Lull  in  the  storm,"  383. 
Luther,  Martin,  88,  207. 

Man,  an  instrument,  102,  103; 
prize,  166  ;  strong,  167. 

Management  of  school,  258,  340. 

Mann,  Horace,  13,  15,  72,  96,  145, 
181,  330 ;  on  expulsion,  248  ; 
on  quackery,  82 ;  on  corporal 
punishment,  237-241 ;  on  read- 
ing, 74,  75. 

Manners,  66,  346,  365 ;  of  teach- 
er, 60,  65,  145,  187,  188. 

Many,  The,  167,  266,  345,  346. 

Map-drawing,  76. 

Maps,  40. 

Martineau,  Miss,  330. 

Mathematics,  80,  331 ;  necessity 
of  review  in,  289. 

Meanness,  266,  345,  351,  352. 

Means,  105,  258,  386;  of  educa- 
tion, 96,  97,  98  ;  improper,  170, 
171 ;  of  moral  growth,  391 ;  to 
secure  order,  197-215 ;  of  self- 
control,  370,  371,  391. 

Meeting  of  teachers,  336,  337. 

Memory,  44,  97,  99,  141,  167,  289, 
332,  395  ;  in  examination,  291. 

Mental  arithmetic,  39,  40,  77, 
271. 

Methods,  19,  21,  23,  105-136,  139, 
335,  336,  340,  373,  407  ;  patent, 
359. 

Mill,  J.  S.,  135. 

Milton,  John,  96,  397. 

Mind,  102,  180  ;  reached  through 
the  body,  218  ;  development  of, 
102,  139,  140,  180  ;  dignity  of, 
27,  50,  94,  179,  181,  395,  396; 
not  like  a  jug,  108  ;  crime  of 
misleading,  29,  49,  50,  95,  100, 
109,  182,  263. 

Minimum  of  punishment,  258. 


418 


INDEX. 


Miscellaneous  suggestions,  344r- 
387. 

Misjudgment,  99,  106,  169,  170, 
263. 

Models,  use  of,  277 ;  servile  imi- 
tation of,  342. 

Modern  culture  trivinm,  41,  77. 

Modes  of  teacMng,  105-136. 

Modesty,  302,  303,  345. 

Morality,  33,  46,  48,  95,  97,  98, 175, 
180;  how  developed,  48,  97, 
365,  376-381,  386,  391,  393. 

Moral  suasion,  236. 

Moroseness,  187,  315,  368,  370. 

Mothers  first,  300,  398,  399. 

Motives,  154,  167,  172,  173,  178, 
179,  180,  194,  293,  294,  393, 
411 ;  attractive,  259 ;  classes 
of,  258,  259 ;  in  punishment, 
216,  227,  257  ;  repulsive,  259  ;  of 
teaching,  25,  26,  95,  394-397. 

Music,  86,  206,  207,  316. 

Mutual  aid,  333-343. 

Myopia,  37,  38. 

Nails,  62. 

Napoleon,  159. 

Natural  Philosophy,  80,  290,  371- 

375. 
Neatness,  61,  314,  363,  364. 
Neck,  316,  317,  318. 
Neglected  pear-tree,  30. 
Newbury,  12. 
Newburyport,  15,  17. 
NibbUng,  Mental,  276. 
Normal   schools,  14,  16,  20,  321, 

340. 
Number,  39. 
Nurslings,    106,     107,    112,     113, 

114. 

Obedience,  181,  202,  259,  362. 
Object  of   the  Author,   3,    4 ;    of 

the   Beviser,    5,   6 ;    unworthy, 

164. 
Objections  to  prizes,  164-174. 
Object  lessons,  46,  119-129,  130. 
ObUgation,  177,  178. 
Observation,  45,  122,  130,  131. 
Offenses  at  home,  409. 
Olmsted,  Professor,  367. 
Oral  mania,  357,  358. 


Oral  teaching,  107,  134,  135,  356, 
357. 

Order,  63,  186,  197,  211,  213,  363, 
384 ;  of  nature,  39,  139 ;  of  reci- 
tation, 153 ;  of  study,  38,  43. 

Organization,  22,  258,  265,  405. 

Orthography,  73. 

Page,  David  Perkins,  4,  5,  6  ;  age, 
18  ;  biographical  sketch,  11-18 ; 
birth,  11 ;  character,  18  ;  death, 
17  ;  education,  12  ;  experience, 
344 ;  lecturer,  13 ;  methods, 
13,  14 ;  Principal  of  Normal 
School,  15  ;  private  school,  12 ; 
qualifications  of,  15,  344. 

Pain,  Bodily,  218. 

Parents,  217,  398,  405 ;  acquaint- 
ance with,  265,  266,  297 ;  bene- 
fited, 131,  132 ;  not  the  teach- 
er's confessional,  298 ;  mutual 
duties  with,  13,  208,  354 ;  foUy 
of,  246,  354 ;  gratitude  of,  399, 
400;  moral  influence  of,  47, 
52,  242 ;  teacher's  relation  to, 
296-303;  responsibility  of,  35, 
217,  238. 

Partiality,  193,  360. 

Passion,  187,  250,  370. 

Patience,  279,  353,  354,  368. 

Paul,  The  Apostle,  403. 

Pay,  71,  72,  319,  320,  388,  402 ; 
in  epidemic,  410 ;  how  to  in- 
crease, 322,  323. 

Pear-tree,  30. 

Perfect  manhood,  390. 

Personal  friends,  266,  268;  of 
.parents,  298,  299. 

Personal  habits  of  the  teacher, 
60-70. 

Pestalozzi,  330,  397. 

Philosophizing,  196. 

Philosophy,  106,  138;  the  high- 
est, 5,  24 ;  of  language,  79. 

Phraseology,  43,  44. 

Physician,  26,  28,  156,  347. 

Physics,  80,  290 ;  a  lesson  in, 
371-375. 

Physiology,  20,  81,  223,  224,  290. 

Plagiarism,  366. 

Plan,  201,  262,  264,  299,  331 ;  of 
day's  work,  269-278. 


INDEX. 


419 


Plants,  125-129. 

Plato,  of  culture,  23. 

Pleasure,  181,  182 ;  in  learning, 
l«i. 

Politeness,  6-1,  6.5 ;  value  of,  67. 

Potter,  Dr.,  14,  15,  96,  207,  330. 

Pouring-in  process,  107-109,  ISl, 
357,  358. 

Power  and  Authority  of  School 
Ofllcers  and  Teachers,  405,  408, 
409,  410. 

Practice,  4,  22,  66,  177,  324,  325, 
332,  338,  361;  language  les- 
sons, 42 ;  in  morals,  48,  326. 

Precept,  47,  64. 

Precocity,  37. 

Predecessor,  265,  266,  351. 

Preface,  Author's,  3,  4 ;  Editor's 
5,  6, 

Prejudice,  344,  345. 

Preparation,  22,  23,  28,  140, 
262,  324;  of  lesson,  40,  140, 
141,  142;  neglect  of,  27,  29, 
141. 

Prerogatives,  405,  406  ;  of  school 
hoard,  407  ;  of  superintendent, 
407 ;  of  teacher,  407. 

Press,  The,  337. 

Primary  Instruction,  Laurie's, 
S30. 

Principle,  20,  44,  78,  139,  250,  340, 
393;  application  of,  287,  393; 
caution  in  adopting,  255 ;  of 
emulation,  158, 159, 161 ;  moral, 
47,  49,  177,  197. 

Pri%'ileges,  Loss  of,  231,  259. 

Prizes,  162-175,  179;  difficalties 
of  award,  168 ;  improper  mo- 
tives, 173 ;  objections  to,  164, 
165;  reward  what?  168. 

Problem  of  the  school,  5. 

Profanity,  64. 

Profession,  The  teacher's,  4,  22, 
26,  71,  90  93,  319-343,  397, 
398 ;  dignity  of,  403 ;  protec- 
tion of,  325 ;  a  stepping-stone, 
28. 

Professional  feeling,  339. 

Professional  reading,  90,  329-331. 

Proficiency,  291,  391. 

Program  of  recitation  and  study, 
273 ;  remarks  on,  274-278. 


Promotions,  407,  408. 

Promptness,  150. 

Propagation,  129. 

Proportion,  144. 

Prosecution,  Legal,  405-411. 

Protection  of  the  public,  325. 

Prudence,  261. 

Pruning,  31. 

Psychology,  20,  83,  138,  139,  140. 

Public  examinations,  290-295  ;  en- 
courage deception,  292. 

PubUc  opinion,  251,  259,  322,  323; 
attempt  to  force,  256. 

Punctuality,  68,  121,  267,  328. 

Punishment,  203,  215,  216-261, 
409  ;  advertising,  244  ;  classes 
of,  218  ;  corporal,  235-249,  409 ; 
definition  of,  216 ;  improper, 
219-230 ;  in  presence  of  the 
school,  251;  proper,  230-235; 
right  of,  218,  409. 

Pupils,  399,  400,  405 ;  bright,  275 ; 
detention  of,  410  ;  examination 
of,  291 ;  laughing  at  "  jokes," 
223;  regularity  of,  409;  self- 
respect  of,  287,  288  ;  studies  of, 
408 ;  success  of,  394 ;  tardy, 
410 ;  treatment  of,  189,  190 ; 
vicious,  239,  240,  247,  248. 

Quacks,  22,  82,  321. 
Qualifications,    95,    264;   literary, 

71-90. 
Questioning,  120-129,  141,  153. 
Questions,  44,  109,  144. 
Quick,  E.  H.,  330. 

Eatio,  144. 

Beading,  38,  39,  74,  275,  332 ;  not 
elocution,  39,  74,  75 ;  profes- 
sional, 329-331. 

Reading  circles,  90. 

Reasons,  139  ;  in  arithmetic,  77. 

Recess,  272,  283-286. 

Recipient,  Passive,  108,  126,  128, 
130. 

Recitation,  44,  45,  137-153,  166, 
271,  274,  407 ;  length  of,  277 ; 
time  of,  278. 

Recreation,  328,  329. 

Reformation,  365,  366. 

Register  of  credits,  209. 


420 


INDEX. 


EeUgion,  51,  177,  178. 
Eeligiotis  exercises,  410. 
Religious  training,  50,  378. 
Remembrance  of  pupils,  399. 
Reproof,  230,  2.51,  ::59,  365,  366. 
"Resolutions,"  255,  338,  404. 
Respect,  198,  259,  367. 
Respensibility,  25,  34,  46;   of  the 

teacher,    30-59,    83,    167,    177, 

178,  263,  390. 
Restraint,  231. 
Revenge,  216. 
Reviews,  277,  288-290 ;  frequency 

of,  289. 
Rewards,  164;   of  God,  172,  403, 

404 ;    not    necessary,    174 ;    of 

teacher,  320,  388-404. 
Rhetoric,  84. 

Eichter,  J.  P.,  104,  260,  330. 
Ridicule,  226,  227,  228. 
Riding,  Horseback,  307. 
Righteousness,  177,  178,  205. 
Right  modes  of  teaching,  105-136. 
Right  to  punish,  218. 
Rights,  405-411. 
Rights  of  property,  364. 
Right  views  of  education,  91-104. 
Rivalry,  165. 
Rod,  The,  234,  235 ;  a  last  resort, 

244,  249,  250,  254;    substitutes 

for,  245-248. 
Roguery,  268. 
Rousseau,  J.  J.,  330. 
Routine,  146. 
Rowing,  308. 
Rudeness,  67. 
Rules,  23,   78,   201-205,  407;    for 

teaching,  39 ;   for  constructing 

time-table,  277,  278. 

Sawing  wood,  308. 

Schem,  A.  J.,  330. 

Scholars,  19,  46,  99;  the  best, 
166,  167  ;  classiflcation  of,  271 ; 
morals  of,  48  ;  politeness  of,  65 ; 
recitations  of,  287. 

Scholarship,  19,  20,  98,  99,  287, 
288;  liberal,  21,  23,  138,  325, 
340. 

School,  The  Albany  Normal,  4,  6 ; 
arrangements,  262-295 ;  author- 
ity in,  236;   dismissal  of,  236; 


government,  186-261 ;  manage- 
ment, 258  ;  model,  20  ;  practice, 
20  ;  problem  of,  5 ;  punishment, 
216-261 ;  not  a  university,  349. 

School  and  Industrial  Hygiene, 
Lincoln's,  37,  330. 

School  Law  Decisions,  Smith's, 
405,  408,  409. 

School  Management,  Landon's, 
330. 

School  officers,  320,  322,  323,  405, 
406. 

School-room,  327,  363  ;  annoy- 
ances in,  279,  280,  281,  282; 
attractive,  46 ;  hygiene  of,  36» 
37,  38 ;  in  institutes,  338. 

School  and  School-master,  Potter 
and  Emerson's,  330. 

Science,  349  ;  of  arithmetic,  78  ; 
of  education,  22,  83,  100;  of 
government,  85 ;  of  obedience, 
202  ;  of  teaching,  4,  20,  90, 140, 
156,  214,  325,  361. 

Scientific  baby-talk,  357. 

Scolding,  221,  254. 

Sectarianism,  51,  52. 

Seeds,  125-189. 

Self-control,  367-371,  378,  391, 
392. 

Self-government,    186,    187,    188, 

189,  214,  250,  354,  368-370. 
Self -improvement,    88,    89,    133, 

143,  325-333,  391,  403. 
Self-interest,  259. 
Selfishness,  161,  191,  333,  334. 
Self-reliance,   115,   116,    143,  151, 

190,  191. 
SeLf-right«ousness,  229,  343,  367 
Seneca,  397. 

Shame,  217,  227,  229. 

Silence,  214,  215. 

Simultaneous  recitation,  151,  152 

Sincerity,  48. 

Singing,  384,  385. 

"  Sitting  on  nothing,"  225. 

"  Sitting  on  worse  than  nothing," 

225. 
Skating,  308. 
Skepticism,  52. 
Sketch,  Biographical,  11-18. 
Skill,   19,   29,  102,  103,  156,   324, 

325. 


INDEX. 


421 


Skimming,  287,  288. 
Sleep,  306,  310,  313,  328. 
Smiles,    222,    224,   346,   353,    367, 

368,  399 ;  a  reward,  174,  371. 
Sm^ith,  Lyndon  A.,  405. 
Society,  315,  345. 
Socrates,  397. 
Solicitude,  32. 
Sounds,  73. 
Spelling,  39,  73. 
Spencer,  Herbert,  330,  361. 
Spirit  of  the  teacher,   25-29,  54, 

70,  122,  266. 
Stagnation,  820,  327,  329,  331. 
State,  The.  260,  406. 
Stimulants,   183 ;    abnormal,  182, 

184 ;  for  a  dull  child,  353. 
Studies,  21,  346,  347  ;  compiilsory, 

408 ;  sequence  of,  22,  345,  346, 

347  ;  right  to  introduce,  408. 
Study,  21,  88,  133,  141,  146,  201, 

327,  331 ;  agreeable,  185 ;  col- 
lateral, 45,  69,  88,  89,  142,  307, 
331 ;  direction  of,  346  ;  interest 
in,  154-185 ;  manner  of,  43 ; 
order  of,  38,  272  ;  professional, 
22,  69,  152,  327,  330  ;  of  school, 
264. 

Subject,  Order  of,  139,  140 ;  study 
of,  44,  140,  146,  332,  348,  349. 

Success,  171,  172. 

Suggestions,  Miscellaneous,  344- 
387. 

Sums,  144. 

Superintendent,  407. 

Support  of  school,  407. 

Surveying,  80. 

Suspicion,  199. 

Suspension,  409. 

Symmetry,  184,  396. 

System,    63,    262,    279,    282,    283, 

328,  331. 

Talent,  171,  292 ;  how  acquired, 
139 ;  condition  of  the  highest, 
26 ;  in  the  teacher's  profession, 
319. 

"Talk,"  338. 

Tasks,  233,  234. 

Taylor,  Isaac,  330. 

Teacher,  Accomplished,  138 ;  at- 
tainments of,  22,  27,  72-87,  93, 


138,  319,  336,  403;  authority 
of,  405^11;  benefited,  132, 
133,  388-404 ;  duty  to  commu- 
nity, 60,  93,  94,  208,  240,  323, 
337 ;  duty  to  pupils,  167,  189, 
263,  350,  409 ;  government  in, 
186,  240;  health  of,  304-318; 
honesty  of,  293-295,  367;  lan- 
guage of,  144  ;  magnifying  his 
profession,  398,  403 ;  motives 
of,  20,  50,  94,  362,  390  ;  of  prin- 
ciple, 49,  197;  pay  of,  319-325, 
388,  389,  390;  purity  of,  47; 
relation  to  his  profession,  319- 
343,  362,  403;  relation  to  pa- 
rents, 296-303  ;  relation  to  pa- 
trons, 208 ;  responsibility  of, 
35-59,  83,  167,  177,  178,  203, 
390  ;  rights  of,  405-411 ;  social 
qualities  of,  297,  315,  367  ;  spirit 
of,  25,  145,  189,  208,  266,  333, 
362;  temptations  of,  133,  327, 
329,  333,  343,  350,  353,  370; 
time-table  of,  277,  278,  407. 

Teacher,  The,  330. 

Teachers'  Associations,  13,  337. 

Teachers'  Meeting,  336. 

Teaching,  Art  of,  4, 152,  392  ;  De- 
tails of  Teaching,  4 ;  fitness  for, 
19,  25,  138,  191,  325;  mechan- 
ical, 141 ;  true  medium  of,  115, 
116;  modes  of,  105-136;  an 
occupation,  325  ;  practical,  338, 
344  ;  a  profession,  31 9-343 ;  a 
science,  4,  20, 140 ;  a  secondary 
object,  28,  94,  320  ;  works  on, 
330. 

Teeth,  62. 

Tests,  290-295 ;  for  reading,  39. 

Text-books,  44,  117,  135,  136, 140, 
407,  408 ;  age  for,  40 ;  use  of, 
140,  141,  142. 

Theology,  52 ;  common  ground  of, 
51. 

Theory,  3,  4,  23,  66. 

Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching,  5- 
18,  19,  71. 

Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching, 
Thring's,  330. 

Thinking,  167,  289,  374. 

Thompson,  D'Arcy  W.,  330. 

Thoroughness,  348,  391. 


422 


INDEX, 


Thought,  102,  139,  230,  290,  332, 
389;  habits  of,  102,  131,  392; 
not  words,  44. 

Thoughts  on  Education,  Locke's, 
330. 

Threatening,  205,  221,  244. 

Thring,  E.,  330. 

Thunder-storm,  its  lesson,  377-382. 

Time,  327,  328. 

Tobacco,  63. 

Topics,  14C;  of  the  day,  117; 
practical,  147. 

Training,  103;  mental,  38,  102, 
103  ;  moral,  46,  102,  179  ;  phys- 
ical, 36,  102,  103;  rehgious, 
50,  102,  103. 

Training  of  Teachers,  Laurie's, 
330. 

Translation  of  thought,  39. 

Trigonometry,  80. 

Truth,  48,  256,  257  ;  how  revealed, 
45,  257. 

Tyranny,  191. 

Uniformity,  192  ;  of  books,  278. 
University,   20 ;    study  of  educa- 
tion in,  20,  21. 
Unusual  occurrences,  376. 
Usefulness,  177,  179,  394,  395. 

Vacations,  Mr.  Page's,  16. 
Vandalism,  363,  364,  365. 
Vices,  Inexcusable,  49,  320. 
Victims  of  kindness,  108. 
Victory,  371. 

Views  of  education,  91-104. 
Views  of  government,  191-193. 
Views    of    the    whole,    288,    289, 
290. 


Virgil,  190. 

Visitation,  Mutual,  334^336,  342. 
Visits  of  patrons,  300,  335. 
Vocal  music,  86,  87,  206,  207,  385. 
Avocation,     of    scholar,     341 ;     of 

teacher,     391,    394,    395,    396, 

397,  402. 
Vulgarity,  64. 

Waking-up  process,  108,  117-129. 
133,  134,  182,  205,  206. 

TValking,  306. 

Walsh,  M.  McX.,  405. 

AYarren,  Dr.  J.  C,  309. 

"Way,  104  ;  of  education,  5,  6  ;  the 
more  excellent,  114-117 ;  me- 
chanical, 44,  45. 

TVayland,  Dr.,  96. 

Webster,  Dr.,  158,  217. 

Whipping,  235  ;  thorough,  254. 

Whittling,  365. 

Wisdom,  326,  343. 

Woodward,  Dr.,  82. 

Word-analysis,  75. 

Words,  38,  39, 135  ;  without  mean 
ing,  44. 

Worship,  in  prison,  56,  57. 

Worth,  169-173. 

Wright,  Silas,  16. 

Writer,  336. 

AVriting,  41,  76,  107,  271. 

Written  arithmetic,  41,  78. 

Young  children,  286. 
Young,  Col.,  14,  15,  81. 
Young,  Dr.,  335. 
Y'outh,  The  dignity  of,  29. 

Zoology,  357. 


Books  for   Teachers 


FOR  THE  STUDY  OF   PEDAGOGY 

Calkins's  Manual  of  Object  Teaching 

Hailmann's  History  of   Pedagogy 

Hewett's  Pedagogy  for  Young  Teachers 

How  to  Teach  (Kiddle,  Harrison,  and  Calkins) 

King's  School  Interests  and  Duties 

KrLisi's  Life  and  Work  of  Pestalozzi 

Mann's  School  Recreations  and  Amusements 

Page's  Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching 

Palnner's  Science  of  Education 

Payne's  School  Supervision 

Payne's  Contributions  to  the  Science  of  Education 

Sheldon's  Eessons  on  Objects 

Shoup's  History  and  Science  of  Education   . 

Swett's  Methods  of  Teaching 

White's  Elements  of  Pedagogy     . 

White's  School  Management 

FOR  THE  STUDY  OF  PSYCHOLOGY 

Halleck's  Psychology  and  Psychic  Culture     . 
Hewett's  Psychology  for  Young  Teachers     . 
Putnam's  Elementary  Psychology 
Roark's  Psychology  in  Education  . 

FOR  THE  TEACHER'S  DESK 

Schaeffer's  Bible  Readings  for  Schools 

Eclectic  Manual  of  Methods 

Swett's  Questions  for  Written  Examination 

Appletons'  How  to  Teach  Writing 

Morris's  Physical  Education 

Smart's  Manual  of  School  Gymnastics 

White's  Oral  Lessons  in  Number 

Dubbs's  Arithmetical  Problems.     Teachers'  Edition 

Doerner's  Treasury  of  General  Knowledge.     Part  L 

The  Same.     Part  H.      . 
Webster's  Academic  Dictionary.     New  Edition. 


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1.00 

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Practical   Rhetoric 

A  Rational  and  Comprehensive  Text-Book  for  the  use  of 
High  Schools  and  Colleges.  By  John  Duncan 
QuACKENBOS,  A.M.,  M.D.,  Emeritus  Professor  of 
Rhetoric  in  Columbia  University. 


Cloth,  i2mo,  477  pages.     Price,  $i.oo 


'TpHIS  work  differs  materially  from  all  other  text-books 
of  rhetoric  both  in  plan  and  method  of  treatment. 
It  first  develops,  in  a  perfectly  natural  manner,  the  laws 
and  principles  which  underlie  rhetorical  art,  and  then 
shows  their  use  and  practical  application  in  the  different 
processes  and  kinds  of  composition.  The  book  is  clear, 
simple,  and  logical  in  its  treatment,  original  in  its  depar- 
ture from  technical  rules  and  traditions,  copiously  illus- 
trated with  examples,  and  calculated  in  every  way  to 
awaken  interest  and  enthusiasm  in  the  study.  A  large 
part  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  instruction  and  practice  in 
actual  composition  work  in  which  the  pupil  is  encouraged 
to  follow  and  apply  genuine  laboratory  methods. 

The  lessons  are  so  arranged  that  the  whole  course, 
including  the  outside  constructive  work,  may  be  satisfac- 
torily completed  in  a  single  school  year. 


Copies  of  Quackenbos  s  Practical  Rhetoric  will  be  sent  prepaid  to 
any  address,  on  receipt  of  the  price,  by  the  Publishers,  Correspondence 
relating  to  terms  for  introduction  is  cordially  invited. 

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An  Advanced    English  Grammar 


FOR   THE   USE    OF 


HIGH     SCHOOL,    ACADEMY    AND     COLLEGE    CLASSES 


W.  M.   BASKERVILL 

Professor  o/  the  English  Language  and  Literature  in  Vanderbilt  University, 
Nash  V tile,    Tenn. 


J.  W.    SEWELL 

Of  the  Fogg  High  School,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
Cloth,  12mo,  349  pages  ....  90  cents 


This  new  Grammar  is  designed  for  advanced  students  who  desire 
to  extend  their  studies  in  English  beyond  the  course  ordinarily  pursued 
in  Common  or  Grammar  Schools.  In  this  work,  grammar  is  treated  as 
a  science  based  on  facts  and  principles  derived  from  the  actual  use  of 
the  language  and  not  from  technical  rules  and  traditions. 

Its  aim  is  to  lead  the  pupil  to  deduce  for  himself  grammatical  rules 
from  the  best  examples  of  construction  and  style  to  be  found  in  English 
literature  and  to  acquire  skill  in  their  use.  For  this  purpose  abundant 
and  apposite  quotations  from  standard  authors  are  given  to  illustrate 
each  grammatical  relation  and  construction  and  to  show  the  student  that 
he  is  dealing  with  the  facts  of  the  language  and  not  with  the  theories  of 
the  grammarians. 

While  the  book  represents  original  and  advanced  methods  it  is  at 
the  same  time  conservative  in  treatment,  and  aims  to  preserve  what  is 
good  in  the  older  methods. 


Copies  of  Baskervill  and  SewelTs  English  Grammar  will  be  sent  prepaid 
to  any  address^  on  receipt  of  the  price,  by  the  Publishers: 

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(29) 


Psychology  in   Education 


Roark's   Psychology   in   Education 

By  RuRic    N.   RoARK,   Dean  of    the    Department  of 

Pedagogy,  Kentucky  State  College. 

Cloth,  i2mo,  312  pages       ....         $1.00 

This  new  work  is  designed  for  use  as  a  text-book  in 
Secondary  and  Normal  Schools,  Teachers'  Training  Classes 
and  Reading  Circles.  The  general  purpose  of  the  book  is 
to  give  teachers  a  logical  and  scientific  basis  for  their  daily 
work  in  the  schoolroom.  The  teacher  will  gain  from  it 
knowledge  for  present  needs,  and  stimulus  and  inspiration 
for  further  study  of  mind  growth.  While  this  is  the  special 
purpose  of  the  book,  it  contains  such  a  clear  and  accurate 
exposition  of  psychological  facts  and  processes  as  to  make 
it  an  interesting  work  for  the  general  reader  as  well  as  for 
those  who  have  to  do  with  schools  and  education. 

It  is  elementary  in  treatment,  but  every  subject  is 
presented  in  a  most  thorough,  logical,  and  psychological 
manner.  It  makes  a  distinct  departure  from  the  methods 
heretofore  in  vogue  in  the  treatment  of  Psychology  and  the 
application  of  its  principles  and  processes  to  mind  study 
and  the  philosophy  of  teaching.  It  is  justly  regarded  as 
the  most  important  contribution  to  pedagogical  science  and 
literature  in  recent  years,  and  is  the  only  work  of  its  kind 
which  brings  the  subject  within  the  comprehension  and 
practical  application  of  teachers. 


Copies  of  Roark's  Psychology  in  Education  "will  be  sent  prepaid  to  any 
address,  on  receipt  of  the  price,  by  the  Publishers: 

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For  Teachers   and   School   Officers 


King's  School  Interests  and  Duties 

Developed  from  '*  Page's  Mutual  Duties  of  Parents  and 
Teachers,"  from  various  Public  Records  and  Documents, 
and  from  the  Bulletins  of  the  National  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cation.    By  Robert  M.  King. 
Cloth,  i2mo,  336  pages  ....         $1.00 

This  new  work,  original  in  its  scope  and  plan,  presents  in  one  volume 
interesting  and  valuable  expositions  of  the  modern  demands,  best 
methods,  and  most  important  interests  of  our  Public  School  Systems. 
Its  central  idea  is  to  show  the  importance  and  value  of  co-operation  in 
school  work  and  the  mutual  duties  of  teachers,  school  officers,  and 
parents.  It  also  embodies  synopses  of  the  discussions  on  leading  educa- 
tional topics  from  the  various  fugitive  reports  and  manuals  issued,  from 
time  to  time,  by  school  officials  and  State  Departments  of  Education.  It 
will  be  found  an  invaluable  manual  and  guide  for  school  superintendents, 
officers,  and  patrons,  and,  indeed,  for  every  one  interested  in  educational 
work, 

Mann's  School  Recreations  and  Amusements 

By  Charles  "W.  Mann,  A.M.,  Dean    of   the    Chicago 
Academy.     Cloth,  lamo,  352  pages   ,         .         .     $1.00 

This  volume  not  only  opens  up  a  new  field  of  much  needed  informa- 
tion and  direction  in  the  matter  of  physical  training  of  pupils,  but  also 
furnishes  suggestions  for  intellectual  recreations  which  will  greatly  add 
to  the  interest  and  value  of  school  work  and  lend  a  charm  to  school  life 
in  all  its  phases.  Some  of  the  subjects  treated  in  this  work  are:  Morning 
Exercises,  Care  and  Equipment  of  Schoolrooms,  Singing  Games  and 
Songs,  Indoor  Exercises  and  Outdoor  Games,  Experiments  in  Physics 
and  Chemis-try,  Recreations  in  Latin,  Outline  for  Reading  Circles,  etc. 


Copies  of  the  above  books  will  be  sent  prepaid  to  any  address,  on  receipt 
of  the  price,  by  the  Publishers  : 

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(41) 


Halleck's   Psychology  and 
Psychic    Culture 

By  REUBEN    POST    HALLECK,  M.A.  (Yale) 
Cloth,  12mo,  368  pages.     Illustrated      ....      Price,  $1.25 


This  new  text-book  in  Psychology  and  Psychic  Culture 
is  suitable  for  use  in  High  School,  Academy  and  College 
classes,  being  simple  and  elementary  enough  for  beginners 
and  at  the  same  time  complete  and  comprehensive  enough 
for  advanced  classes  in  the  study.  It  is  also  well  suited 
for  private  students  and  general  readers,  the  subjects  being 
treated  in  such  an  attractive  manner  and  relieved  by  so 
many  apt  illustrations  and  examples  as  to  fix  the  attention 
and  deeply  impress  the  mind. 

The  work  includes  a  full  statement  and  clear  exposition 
of  the  coordinate  branches  of  the  study — physiological  and 
introspective  psychology.  The  physical  basis  of  Psychol- 
ogy is  fully  recognized.  Special  attention  is  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  mental  faculties,  making  the  work 
practically  useful  for  self-improvement.  The  treatment 
throughout  is  singularly  clear  and  plain  and  in  harmony 
with  its  aims  and  purpose. 

"  Halleck's  Psychology  pleases  me  very  much.  It  is  short,  clear, 
interesting,  and  full  of  common  sense  and  originality  of  illustration. 
I  can  sincerely  recommend  it." 

WILLIAM  JAMES, 
Professor  of  Psychology,  Harvard  University. 


Copies  of  Halleck's  Psychology  will  be  sent  prepaid  to  any  addres-c  on 
receipt  of  the  price  by  the  Publishers  : 

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(42) 


Handbook  of  Greek  and  Roman  History 

BY 

GEORGES    CASTEGNIER,  B.S.,  B.L. 

Flexible   Cloth,  12mo,  110  pages.  -        Price,  50  cents 


The  purpose  of  this  little  handbook  is  to  assist  the 
student  of  Greek  and  Roman  History  in  reviewing  subjects 
already  studied  in  the  regular  text-books  and  in  preparing 
for  examinations.  It  will  also  be  found  useful  for  general 
readers  who  wish  to  refresh  their  minds  in  regard  to  the 
leading  persons  and  salient  facts  of  ancient  history. 

It  is  in  two  parts,  one  devoted  to  Greek,  and  the  other 
to  Roman  history.  The  names  and  titles  have  been 
selected  with  rare  skill,  and  represent  the  whole  range  of 
classical  history.  They  are  arranged  alphabetically,  and 
are  printed  in  full-face  type,  making  them  easy  to  find. 
The  treatment  of  each  is  concise  and  gives  just  the  in- 
formation in  regard  to  the  important  persons,  places,  and 
events  of  classical  history  which  every  scholar  ought  to 
know  and  remember,  or  have  at  ready  command. 

Its  convenient  form  and  systematic  arrangement 
especially  adapt  it  for  use  as  an  accessory  and  reference 
manual  for  students,  or  as  a  brief  classical  cyclopedia  for 
general  readers. 


Copies  of  Castegnier  s  Handbook  of  Greek  and  Roman  History  will  be 
sent  prepaid  to  any  address,  on  receipt  of  the  price ,  by  the  Publishers: 

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Fisher's  Brief  History  of  the  Nations 

AND    OF    THEIR    PROGRESS    IN    CIVILIZATION 

By  GEORGE  PARK  FISHER,  LL.D. 

Professor  in  Yale  University 

C'oth,  12mo,  613  pages,  with   numerous  Illustrations,  Maps,  Tables,  and 
Reproductions  of  Bas-reliefs,  Portraits,  and  Paintings.     Price,  $1.50 


This  is  an  entirely  new  work  written  expressly  to  meet 
the  demand  for  a  compact  and  acceptable  text-book  on 
General  History  for  high  schools,  academies,  and  private 
schools.  Some  of  the  distinctive  qualities  which  will  com- 
mend this  book  to  teachers  and  students  are  as  follows: 

It  narrates  in  fresh,  vigorous,  and  attractive  style  the 
most  important  facts  of  history  in  their  due  order  and 
connection. 

It  explains  the  nature  of  historical  evidence,  and  records 
only  well  established  judgments  respecting  persons  and 
events. 

It  delineates  the  progress  of  peoples  and  nations  in 
civilization  as  well  as  the  rise  and  succession  of  dynasties. 

It  connects,  in  a  single  chain  of  narration,  events  related 
to  each  other  in  the  contemporary  history  of  different 
nations  and  countries. 

It  gives  special  prominence  to  the  history  of  the 
Mediaeval  and  Modern  Periods,  —  the  eras  of  greatest 
import  to  modern  students. 

It  is  written  from  the  standpoint  of  the  present,  and 
incorporates  the  latest  discoveries  of  historical  explorers 
and  writers. 

It  is  illustrated  by  numerous  colored  maps,  genealog- 
ical tables,  and  artistic  reproductions  of  architecture, 
sculpture,  painting,  and  portraits  of  celebrated  men, 
representing  every  period  of  the  world's  history. 


Copies  of  Fisher  s  Brief  History  of  the  Nations  will  be  sent  prepaid  to 
any  address,  on  receipt  of  the  price,  by  the  Publishers  : 

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(43) 


Eclectic  English  Classics 


Knighte' 


Tale 


and  Compensation 


For  School  and  Home  Reading.    Recommended  for  study  and  read- 
ing preparatory  to  admission  to  college.      Uniform  binding. 
Arnold's  (Matthew)  Sohrab  and  Rustum 
Burke's  Conciliation  with  the  American  Colonies 
Burns's  Poems — Selections  . 
Byron's  Poems — Selections  . 
Carlyle's  Essay  on  Robert  Burns 
Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales — Prologue  and 
Coleridge's  Rime  of  the  Ancient  Mariner 
Defoe's  History  of  the  Plague  in  London 
DeQumcey's  Revolt  of  the  Tartars 
Dryden's  Palamon  and  Arcite 
Emerson's  American  Scholar,  Self-Reliance, 
Franklin's  Autobiography    . 
George  Eliot's  Silas  Marner 
Goldsmith's  Vicar  of  Wakefield  . 
Gray's  Poems — Selections    . 
Irving's  Sketch  Book — Selections 

Tales  of  a  Traveler 
Macaulay's  Second  Essay  on  Chatham 

Essay  on  Milton  . 

Essay  on  Addison 

Life  of  Samuel  Johnson 
Milton's  L'Allegro,  11  Penseroso,  Comus,  and  Lycidas 

Paradise  Lost — Books  I.  and  II. 
Pope's  Homer's  Iliad,  Books  L,  VI.,  XXII.  and  XXIV. 

Rape  of  the  Lock,  and  Essay  on  Man 
Scott's  Ivanhoe  ...... 

Marmion       ...... 

Lady  of  the  Lake  .... 

The  Abbot 

Woodstock  ..... 

Shakespeare's  Julius  Caesar 

Twelfth  Night 

JNIerchant  of  Venice      .... 

Midsummer-Night's  Dream  . 

As  You  Like  It    . 

Macbeth 

Hamlet         ...... 

Sir  Roger  de  Coverley  Papers  (The  Spectator) 
Southey's  Life  of  Nelson     .... 

Tennyson's  Princess    ..... 

Webster's  Bunker  Hill  Orations 
Wordsworth's  Poems — Selections 


Copies  sent,  prepaid,  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  the  price. 

American    Book   Company 

NEW  YORK  ♦  CINCINNATI  .  CHICAGO 


(S.) 


An    Introduction  to  the 

Study    of    American    Literature 

BY 

BRANDER   MATTHEWS 

Professor   of    Literature   in    Columbia    University 

Cloth,  12mo,  256  pages        -        -        -         Price,  $1.00 


A  text-book  of  literature  on  an  original  plan,  and  conforming  with 
the  best  methods  of  teaching. 

Admirably  designed  to  guide,  to  supplement,  and  to  stimulate  the 
student's  reading  of  American  authors. 

Illustrated  with  a  fine  collection  of  facsimile  manuscripts,  portraits 
of  authors,  and  views  of  their  homes  and  birthplaces. 

Bright,  clear,  and  fascinating,  it  is  itself  a  literary  work  of  high  rank. 

The  book  consists  mostly  of  delightfully  readable  and  yet  compre- 
hensive little  biographies  of  the  fifteen  greatest  and  most  representative 
American  writers.  Each  of  the  sketches  contains  a  critical  estimate  of 
the  author  and  his  works,  which  is  the  more  valuable  coming,  as  it  does, 
from  one  who  is  himself  a  master.  The  work  is  rounded  out  by  four 
general  chapters  which  take  up  other  prominent  authors  and  discuss  the 
history  and  conditions  of  our  literature  as  a  whole  ;  and  there  is  at  the 
end  of  the  book  a  complete  chronology  of  the  best  American  literature 
from  the  beginning  down  to  1896. 

Each  of  the  fifteen  biographical  sketches  is  illustrated  by  a  fine 
portrait  of  its  subject  and  views  of  his  birthplace  or  residence  and  in 
some  cases  of  both.  They  are  also  accompanied  by  each  author's 
facsimile  manuscript  covering  one  or  two  pages.  The  book  contains 
excellent  portraits  of  many  other  authors  famous  in  American  literature. 


Copies  of  Brandt' r  I\Tatthe7vs'  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Atncrican 
Literature  will  be  sent  prepaid  to  any  address,  on  receipt  of  the  price, 
by  the  Publishers  : 

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(81) 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   AT  LOS  ANGELES 

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